The Leader and Warrior
by KtyouUniverse
Summary: Sangheili Arbiter Thel 'Vadam has fought the Flood and The Prophet of Truth. Commander Jane Shepard has fought the Reapers and the Collectors. Both are leaders, warriors, and survivors, but while the Arbiter knows the price of galactic genocide, the Commander does not. Alternate Universe. Rated M for language, violence, and adult themes. Default Female Shepard, Vanguard, Paragon.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The New Great Journey

**Installation 00**

**Unknown Location**

**December 23, 2552**

They were running out of time, that much was apparent. The Halo ring was literally about to shake itself into oblivion, and it would destroy anything that was within the destructive radius. The Spartan pushed the limits of the human vehicle, the Warthog, to its absolute limit and it sailed over the ramp into the ship, the_ Forward Unto Dawn_. The Warthog remained somewhat upright, but as soon as the vehicle entered the bay, they were both thrown out of the vehicle as it slowed to a crawl, upside down. Neither of them were hurt. It would take more than this to injure them, and he had no intention of dying, not everything that he had been through. He was the Arbiter, the voice and now ultimate leader of the Sangheili, one of the greatest warrior of his species that was alive, and a master strategist. He would not die here, no. If he was to die, it would be in the heat of battle, and there was no such thing here.

Thel 'Vadum turned to look as the ship began to shift and its once level platform tip to one side. A human Scorpion tank began to slide its way towards him. He needed to move out of the way quickly. With years of training behind him, he rose and quickly sprinted to get away from the incoming tank. Noticing a pile of crates, he moved to quickly get behind them, with only a fraction of a second to spare as the tank came crashing into the crates. After the initial push, Thel checked to make sure that he was not injured beyond healing. When he found himself undamaged and still whole, he tried to move his way out of the crates. He cleared his field of vision enough to see the Spartan give a small nod of acknowledgement. He, too, responded with a nod. He then began to make his way to the front of the ship. They needed to get this ship moving. They would die of they wasted more time.

Thel felt a slight hum of power and felt the ship began to move. He would know that movement anywhere. He had been a Supreme Commander of the Covenant for many years. Having been Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice, had known the subtle and silent shifting of ships as they turned, the slight impacts of UNSC rounds against their shields, albeit barely, and evasive maneuvering. Being and warrior and a commander were just natural to him, and he good at being both, but his position as the Arbiter of his people would likely demand that he be called to lead his people into the difficult times that would be no doubt coming now that the Covenant was in complete disarray and the war was all but over.

Even now, he could see the potential problems being faced, them being the hatred for humans that still lingered, the rational voices pushing for an alliance or at least a peaceful coexistence, and isolationists who would say that Sanghelios should not bother with Humanity and just leave each other be. Of course, Thel knew that Humanity was better as allies than as enemies, despite the twenty-seven years of war and the hatred and animosity that no doubt existed between the races of the former Covenant and United Nations Space Command.

How ironic to think that he held Humanity in high esteem now. A lot of it came from before he became the Arbiter. Although throughout virtually all of the war, despite him believing them to be heretics and a blight, he did hold a grudging respect for Humans that they held many worlds and that they were willing to defend them to the death, a trait that any Sangheili would respect, friend or enemy. Another thing that impressed him about humans was their versatility. As much as he hated to admit it, none of the species of the Covenant were nearly as broad-skilled and knowledgeable about the many other aspects of life. Not even the Kig-Yar and Unggoy were that knowledgeable and even as the Unggoy, as good as they were.

Humans were warriors, but they were also scientists, doctors, leaders, historians, religious, and so much more. And after the Arbiter had discovered that the entirety of the Covenant had been built on a lie and that the Prophet of Truth, along with the other Prophets, lied about the nature of the Humans, he felt betrayed, angry, and shocked beyond his imagination. Never in a thousand lifetimes was he expecting such a painful truth. To know that for twenty-seven years, he had been slaughtering, butchering, and mercilessly killing innocent men, women, children, and infants, filled him was great guilt. The lives of possible tens of millions of Humans were on his hands, and nothing would ever undo his horrible atrocities.

Although they had only surfaced recently, he had visions, dreams, and flashbacks to his earlier days of the war, fighting in ground engagements. Thel had done his share of dealing death personally. He could remember the faces of the many humans of all ages cowering in fear of him, some frozen on the spot, others hiding in corners. Despite their pleas for mercy and begging for life, never once did he ever give into them. They were weak, and they were nothing to him. They simply had to die by orders of the Prophets, and like the blind obedient servant he was, he carried out the will of the Prophets, all in the name of the Forerunners, or so he was led to believe.

Not only had the Prophets lied about the entirety of the Covenant, but they had also lied about Humanity. Humans were not an affront to the Forerunners; they were descendants of the Forerunners. That fact added to his already overwhelming guilt and horror. To be slaughtering Forerunners without a clue in the galaxy. How could he be so blind? He should have known that from the start, the Prophets declaring war was strange. Usually, the Covenant would be more than willing to open relations with others.

Although he knew perfectly well that he could never truly appeal to all of Humanity, he realized that whoever did break away from the Covenant owed Humanity billions of lives, and the best thing they could offer was their assistance in fighting for survival, which would never truly pay the debt owed, but it was at least a start to righting the wrongs. In the end both the Sangheili and the Humans realized that they both needed each other. Despite the war being fought on Human worlds, the Covenant had suffered heavy losses in lives, just as much or more than the Humans.

Although Humans did possess inferior technology, they were certainly creative with how they fought. They did not discriminate between Human and Covenant weapons. If it was intended to kill, it was fair game. Sangeheili thought nothing like this, preferring to die than to pick up any weapon belonging to the enemy. Earlier in his career, Thel would agree like anyone else, but when he was stripped of his rank as a Supreme Commander, he had lost all honor and doing these suicide missions had been his chance at returning to the Great Journey. He began to wonder if because of his rank that it mattered not what weapons or tools that he used, but how he used what he had at his disposal to fight against his enemies. His faith was further challenged by the Gravemind.

The Gravemind. That term still had ways of haunting him. Seeing the source of the Flood intelligence was the most unholy thing he had ever witnessed. It dared to challenge his faith, it dared to presume many things. Even as he was held in the clutches of the Gravemind, the words it spoke of were ones that stuck in his mind. Looking back, Thel had known that his faith was being challenged and his belief in the Covenant wavering. As he fought to Tartarus, his mind still mulled over the words.

_Your Prophets have promised you freedom from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this ring. Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do not mistake their intent or all will perish, as they did before._

How true the Gravemind was, even if for its own purpose. As much as he despised to admit it, the Gravemind, in a way, had liberated the Sangeheili from the Prophets and the Covenant. Never again would the Sangeheili submit to another. However, one thing that would not be so quick to be discarded was their battle prowess and fight for honor. Old traditions died hard.

Thel quickly made his way to the front of the ship. They needed to leave before they were turned to pieces. Thel was quick to seat himself into the pilot seat, despite it not accommodating his body. He ignore the uncomfortable feeling and began to work the controls, trying to keep the ship on a clear course, as best as he could manage. It had been a while since he had piloted a ship, but like his warrior and tactical instincts, his piloting instincts came to life. At least he could do something other than fighting, and just for the right time.

He then noticed the glow that seemed to be surrounding the visor of the ship. He had to hurry. The Halo ring was going to self-destruct. He realized that they may not make it at all, not that it scared him. At this point, few things caused fear and shock anymore, given that he had already experienced these to an extent that would prepare him for the future. If death came, then so be it, for he had already fought death and won on numerous occasions.

That was when his mind drifted to the Spartan still held in the back. He hoped that his fellow comrade was "riding out the storm", as humans saying went. That was his last thought before his vision was blinded by the light. Thel closed his eyes, willing to accept whatever was to come, whether it be Earth or death. It had been a good fight, and if he died, he would die knowing that the greater good had been served, that he had a helping hand in defending the galaxy from mass extinction.

0000000000000000

**Earth, Sol System**

**One day before Reaper Invasion**

**2186**

Earth was busy, and for good reason. For one, there were hundreds of ships surrounding Earth. For another, the other systems of the Solar System were becoming more and more alert. It was no doubt from what was to come. With what was going on now, on a galactic scale. Everyone had reason to be on edge. Admiral Steven Hackett knew this better than anyone else. His nerves were still holding strong, but despite this, he actually heeded Commander Jane Shepard's warnings about the Reapers. He had never been given a reason to doubt her.

He had seen the Reaper Sovereign fight against the Citadel Council. The footage was shocking and eye-opening. There was a greater power than the Council, and a giant storm was coming, one which had not been seen for over fifty-thousand years. All races were on edge, but no one was sure to what extent that the power of the Reapers extended, but it did not require the mind of a genius to do some figuring. If a single ship could do that much damage and endure so much punishment from numerous ships, then it stood to reason that an entire fleets worth of these ships could very well easily overwhelm any fleet the the Council races could throw at it. It was a certainty, but despite all of the overwhelming evidence and proof, the Council was still trying to deny the existence of a race that could case a mass extinction.

Hackett understood their hesitance to acknowledge the threat. Fear caused people to push aside what they cannot understand. If the council did, it would mean that they were at the end, and it would mean that they were possible accepting that they may not survive to their species. In fact, no species wanted to help one another, and every species was pulling back all their forces to try and fight their own battles, confident of victory. Damn politics and their political agendas getting in the way of the facts and the survival of the galaxy. If they wanted to play this game, they could play it once the war was over. Ignoring what was blatantly obvious was just pure and sheer ignorance and arrogance.

There would be war, there was no denying it, and Shepard had been very adamant about her opinion. She had spoken out to everyone, had done everything she could to convince the Council of the threat, but they soundly ignored her advice, convinced that the Reapers were merely a means to scare them all, as were the collectors. Curse politics for getting in the way of what was important. and dragging the entire galaxy with it. Curse them all indeed.

"Admiral," Ensign Lanklin said over an Omni-tool,"we have something that you may want to see."

Hackett turned his head to see one of his officers speaking on his Omni-tool. He wondered what was going on.

"What is it," Hackett asked.

"An unknown object has been detected speeding towards Earth, sir."

That got the Admiral's attention.

"What is the nature of the object," he inquired. "Is it the Reapers?"

"No, sir. Nothing like that. At first, we dismissed it to be a meteor, but then we realized that the object just appeared from nowhere. We sent a ship to get a closer look."

Getting up from his office space, Hackett began to make his way to the bridge of the SSV Aconcagua. It was bustling with activity, but many personnel and officers saluted him whenever possible. He acknowledge them all with a small nod. His hastened his strides, quick as he entered the bridge of the ship and took a look around. Everyone seemed to be extra on edge, even the more seasoned officers. On any normal day, he would question the nature of this anxiousness, but now they were dealing with an enemy of unknown capabilities and power. That, alone, did nothing to ease the minds of the crew. The other thing that bothered many of the the Alliance personnel, although no one showed it, was that Commander Shepard was discharged. Everyone was rather shocked to find this out, but no one knew the details surrounding her discharge, just that it happened without warning.

Admiral Hackett knew though, and he strongly disagreed with the Alliance Council about their reasons. Shepard had stopped the Collectors from abducting more humans lives. She had gone beyond the call of duty to do what was necessary, but there was little he could do to stop her confinement. The reasons were so outlandish and beyond logical. If Hackett knew Shepard, he knew that she would never join an organization like Cerberus without reason. Some claimed that she still had not terminated all connections with the terrorist organization, but surrendering herself and the _Normandy SR-2_ seemed proof enough that she cut all communications with Cerberus._  
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Hackett was quick to enter the bridge of the _SSV Aconcagua_. He turned to one of the communications officers.

"Have we had any contact from the other ship sent to the outer colonies," he asked.

"No sir," Ensign Jackson said. "We've received no form of communication for over thirty-six hours. Absolutely none."

That was concerning indeed. They should have established contact no later than twenty-four hours ago, and Alliance Captains and Admirals were not known for being off schedule in any case. He turned his head to observe the crew.

"And what of the mysterious object," Hackett continued.

"It's approaching Earth, sir, and fast. We're receiving a visual now."

The feed began to projected onto the screen. Hackett could see the stars and then he saw the object. It was indeed rapidly speeding towards Earth. Where it came from, he did not know, but it was obviously a ship, or for better terms, the remains of a ship, but nothing like he had ever seen, and as it began to pick up speed, he could not make out any possible markings or any sort of indication as to who built it.

"Have we tried to identify the ship," Hackett continued.

"Yes, sir," Executive Officer Captain Hughes spoke. "We've cross-referenced with everything in Alliance databases, and everything came back negative."

So what were they dealing with? A new species? It did not seem likely, and for good reason. Hackett, even though the make of the ship was alien to him in some manner, it still looked familiar, like human familiar. Call it an instinct or paranoia, but somehow, there was more to this. It could also be a stray ship that was attacked, that was the easiest thing to say, but given the circumstances, and everything going on, all possibilities had to be considered.

"Can we stop the debris," Hackett asked quickly.

"It wouldn't matter if we did, sir. It's going to land in the ocean, a few miles out from shore. It won't do any damage."

Hackett thought for a moment. The civilian government would be on this on no flat time. They would likely salvage and inspect because they had the authority, and assuming that the crew of the wreckage was dead, but what if they were not?

000000000

Thel 'Vadum could see again, and the sight that greeted him was Earth, the way he remembered it. It looked okay, but then something caught his eye. The continent that was half-glassed was no longer glassed. Even from orbit the damage could have been seen. Rtas 'Vadum had personally seen to it that the Flood not survive, but now the scars were gone, just like that. How could that be?

_Something is not right_, Thel thought to himself.

Thel tried to raise someone on an communications, but then came to realize that all the equipment was reduced to dead metal weight. Cursing in his tongue, he made got out of the seat, trying in vain to remain grounded, but with the ship flailing every which-way, he was forced to grab the nearest wall and steady himself. In addition to the exremely unstable ship, Thel could also feel an intense heat build-up, no doubt coming from the ship entering the atmosphere of this planet, if it was Earth.

Thel made his way through the halls , trying in vain to get to the back to see what was going on, but then his mind recalled something. While he was reading the controls of the ship, he had noticed that the damage reports were saying that the back was no longer with him. As to confirm his thoughts, a loudspeaker called out.

"_Warning: hull integrity compromised. Please proceed to the nearest life boat for immediate evacuation._"

The Spartan was gone, but where was he? Was he on Earth, or in space, or was he dead? Thel did not know, but right now was no time to be fretting about his comrade. He had complete faith in the Human's ability. He was after all, the greatest enemy of the Covenant. Pushing his worry aside, Thel sprinted towards the nearest exit, his armor's shields flailing whenever an explosion was in close enough proximity or a stray flame came close enough, but he ignored these minor things and pushed on to find a way out of the ship.

Without warning, the ship began to jolt uncontrollably and Thel hit the ground in an undignified manner. He was not hurt, but he was a little more than annoyed. Quickly rising to his feet, he made noticed a few life pods. He quickly rose and began to fiddle with the controls to open the lifepod. The door opened, and Thel had to hunch over to get to the main controls. He began to work the controls when he gazed out the window and saw that he was coming into an ocean, or rather, was about to.

Then, the impact came. Thel was once again knocked off his feet. He had no time to shout curses as the ship began to sink and tip, going nose-down into the sea. With all the speed he could muster, Thel abandoned the life pod and took to the end of the ship, where he could see a slightly blue sky was some clouds. He had no time to sightsee as he was forced to grab onto something as the ship was now vertical. As if things could not get worse, a piece of loose debris began to barrel its way towards Thel. Frantic, He dove to his left and grabbed onto the wall nearby, which had enough grooves to keep a steady grip. Grunting in slight pain, he made a final push to the opening.

When he felt his hand on the edge, the first thing he felt was a searing heat, but it didn't hurt him in the least. He had been branded with the Mark of Shame and that was the most painful thing he had ever endured in his life. His whole body was subject to a painful burning, and he only cried out in pain. Never once did he beg for mercy. He was Sangheili. He would survive. With that new-found strength, He pulled himself onto a somewhat stable area and took in his surroundings.

The cities looked Human. From his location, he was a few miles off the coast of a major city of some sort. That, however, did not settle his mind. Something was still wrong. There was no sign of any sort of battle at all, no signs of damage, and no signs of the UNSC or Separatists fleets. Very unsettling indeed, and that led to the one fact that he couldn't deny.

_This is not Earth as I know it. Where am I?_

His thoughts turned to a source of sound in the sky. From the clouds came ships, nothing like the UNSC, Separatists, or Covenant. Against his better instinct, Thel reached for the Type-51 Carbine on his back and held it loosely in his hands. If these were friendlies, than he could breathe a bit easier. Maybe he could figure out what in the name of the Forerunners was going on. If they were enemies, then he would respond accordingly, that being attempting negotiation or a cease-fire, followed by battle if talking failed, then likely death. He was clearly outnumbered, and more likely than not, outgunned. He then grabbed his plasma rifle and held it in his left hand while the carbine remained in his right.

**This idea of mine is so ridiculous, but it might actually work. If this idea does not sound lame to you, then favorite, follow, and review. Ideas are accepted, and I welcome all criticism.**


	2. Chapter 2: System Alliance Reception

Chapter 2: Welcome to the System Alliance's planet Earth

**Earth, Solar System**

**One day before Reaper Invasion**

**2186**

Lieutenant Kathleen Allison held onto the shuttle as she and her team descended into Earth's atmosphere. They were not the only shuttle descending. Five other shuttles also were following their lead, all of them with the same mission. Approximately twenty-three minutes ago, a ship wreckage of unknown design and origins had crashed into one of Earth's oceans, just a few kilometers from the shores of the city Vancouver, in the country of Canada. The mission was simple: find out what they were dealing with, whether it be aliens or something else. Judging from the reports and information that they gave, which was very sparse, it was highly unlikely that there was anyone who had survived, given that there appeared to be only half a ship. If the lack of atmosphere hadn't killed the crew, than the vacuum of space had. Either way, it was a salvage operation, and it needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

Allison's hand was loosely on her sidearm, a standard-issue pistol. She had this strange feeling that there was more than a simple wreck. Things like these were too easy, and easy things were such a rare luxury these days. With the System Alliance getting ready for… the Reapers or whatever it was that was coming, everyone was working double and triple-timing their pace without pause. Allison had dared to question the nature of the many reinforcements and ships now orbiting the planet, but Captain Hughes only gave her the details that pertained to her and her station, and nothing else.

Preparations had been underway for many months. Rumor was that the reason for all the security was because of Commander Shepard, the Human Spectre, but they were just rumors. Most everyone knew that Shepard had been place under arrest, though for what reason, they could only speculate. Some say it was because she had worked for the terrorist organization, Cerberus, while others claimed that she destroyed a Mass Relay connecting this new threat to the galaxy.

Another rumor was that she had been behind the abduction of Human colonist worlds, but that one seemed extremely far-fetched, given Shepard's extensive combat record, not to mention her profile in general. Shepard was a war hero, and was willing to put her life before that of civilians, her squadmates, and her crew. Really, she was the shining example of everything good, or as good as one could be as a soldier and leader. She had never once been recorded or witnessed defying her own principals. Hell, she had even turned herself and the _SSV Normandy_ over as a sign of good faith, not something that many could say they had the ability to do, and she seemed to do without any regret, bitterness, or hatred.

Speaking of ships, the Lieutenant's head perked up at the shuttle pilot's voice over the com.

"_Lieutenant, we're approaching the drop zone. Receiving a visual now."_

Allison turned her head to the video screen as it projected the incoming feed. There was no denying that it was a ship, but it was nothing like she had seen. The ship was a dark grey, or maybe black. Although damaged, she could make out a rough shape. The ship looked to be many boxes pieced together. There were many protrusions that represented barrels, gun emplacements, she guessed. The wreck itself was fairly sizeable. If she had to guess, this ship was probably half the size of the biggest ships in the Alliance Arsenal. For a moment, her curiosity began to spout more questions as she wondered what kind of aliens would build a ship of this design. She was about to relay an order when her eyes strayed to the video as the feed got a better visual. Her sights were set on something on the side of the ship. It was as clear as daylight. Words were painted on the sides.

_UNSC Forward Unto Dawn_

Her mind began to think. That was English. If that was case, then perhaps they were not dealing with anything alien. It had to be human. How else could she explain it? The words, the ship design, they were all human. What were the chances that they were dealing with an alien species that just happened to develop a language and ship of similar design. It was Human, but that suddenly made her careful. This was awfully convenient and simple.

"Take us in further," she relayed to the pilot, "but stay on guard and watch for anything suspicious. Something is amiss here."

The shuttle accelerated slightly as it began to close in on the location of the ship that was now half-sunk ship wreckage, but given that the sea was not terribly deep this many kilometers out. Perhaps there was something worth salvaging, and if this ship was human, then the System Alliance would have free reign over what to do with it, not that this was terribly important in the big scheme of things.

The pilot came over the comm again.

"_Lieutenant, I have something else...that you may want to see._"

"What is it," Allison asked.

"_I honestly don't know. It's… I can't really explain. Video feed being uploaded now._"

Her head turned once again to the small screen. All the officers, along with her, let their eyes analyse it. What they say was somewhat interesting. At first, they thought, their eyes seemed to be deceiving, as it looked like some figure, roughy Turian. A Turian on this wreckage? That made no sense. Turians were not known to be pirates because their species lived a life of honesty and honor, something that kept them from doing the less than ideal careers. Alison decided that video was trying to deceive her. Better check again.

After looking again a bit closer than before, she noticed almost immediately that it did not look like a Turian at all. Even with a distant feed, it was clear that this was no Turian. What was also clear was that the alien brandished weapons in its hands, no doubt preparing to defend itself, and she didn't blame it for doing so. She couldn't see what the alien was armed with, but in any case, it was prepared, but the fact that there was no weapons fire from this unknown indicated a tempered manner, or at least a controlled manner. Perhaps this one was willing to talk, but did it even speak their language? She was not sure if it was monogender, or multi-gendered, or how to try to communicate in general. So many things she had to know in order for things to go smoothly. Perhaps she just had to assume the worst so as not to get her hopes up too much. It would be too easy if otherwise. She keyed into her comm and relayed an order to the soldiers.

"_Combat personnel, we are attempting contact with an unknown alien species. Stay on guard, but do not fire unless forced to._"

She got a string on acknowledgement signals from the other shuttles. Satisfied they were ready, the shuttles began to descend as close to the wreck as possible, but given there were no landings here, they would have to improvise. heavily, unless they used the wreckage as a sort of landing. It would be probable. They would have to remain steady, or as steady as possible.

The side doors opened and three shuttles, including Lieutenant Alison's shuttle, hovered near the crash site, with soldiers holding their weapons out at the individual. For a moment, the alien held the two strange weapons loosely in their direction, but he did nothing further. Then, it slowly placed all its weapons on the ground, including some other devices and technology. It then took a step back, arms at its side, remaining still. With minor reluctance, Alison signalled for three of the N4 soldiers flanking her to collect the weapons the alien surrendered. They made quick work of the neatly arranged weapons and technology, saying nothing. She then exited the shuttle, landing a meter before hitting the "platform", or rather tweaked panel that was now a platform. The N4's held their weapons loosely at the alien, who remained where he was, quiet, and staring at them. For a few moments, Alison felt a bit tense. She decided that the alien was sizing her up, and she was rather surprised by how tall it stood.

"You are human." The voice was masculine and was spoken with much authority.

So this alien was male. She could stop calling him an it. And he spoke english like it was a language he had spoken his entire life, or maybe it was because her translator in her Omni-tool was doing something to translate his language, but given that this was a new species she doubted it, but she needed to be sure. She tapped a few commands on her Omni-tool before resuming the conversation.

"Yes, but we do not know who or what you are," she responded.

"I would be more than willing to answer any questions you have for me," he replied. "but I would prefer to do so when I am certain I can remain grounded."

Okay, so this alien could speak english genuinely and do it fluently without much of an accent. This alien had to have had contact with Humans at some point. No other explanation could fit this situation.

"We have no reason to trust you," she said, warily. "We came here, expecting no survivors. Why should we trust you? We know nothing about you or your species or what you will do."

The alien responded almost immediately.

"Understandable," he continued, "but ask yourself this: how will I fare against your forces? Do you truly think that a single individual can evade an entire army? Sooner or later, I would find myself captured or dead. Defying you would serve no purpose."

Alison, although she did not say anything, was impressed by his rather quick-thinking and for being diplomatic. She could also detect no hint of deception or anything to indicate that he would take any hostile actions. Perhaps this might just be worth something to the Alliance.

"Fair point," she agreed. "but why submit to us? Why don't you put up more of a resistance?"

If she did not know better, Alison would say that the alien seemed to express a face of guilt and sadness before returning to a more neutral expression and responding.

"For now, all I wish to say is that I have personal reasons."

Personal reason? It seemed like an odd response, but like his other responses, she detected no hint of deception, but she wanted to remain on guard. Genuine or not, it was standard procedure to approach any unknown with caution. Coming to a decision she began to relay an order to one of the other shuttles still hovering nearby.

"See to it that this alien is put under guard and monitored. He shows no hostile intentions, but remain on guard."

Another shuttle opened its hatches and three N4 soldiers, with their rifles held loosely, in the alien's direction began to guide him away. After giving the armor soldiers a look, he obeyed. As he approached the shuttle, it took Lieutenant Alison a moment to realize that the alien was huge as he was forced to crane his neck and body in order to even try to enter the shuttle. The soldiers said nothing, but they maintained a close proximity to their new charge should he attempt anything hostile. Alison then keyed into her communications to the _SS Anaconda_.

"Captain Hughes, this is Lieutenant Alison. We have an alien of unknown species in our custody. He surrendered without resistance."

"_What kind of alien," _the captain asked.

"None of the Citadel races as far as I can tell," the lieutenant said, "but certainly not terribly foreign. He speaks english like a second language."

"_I will inform the Admiral Hackett of this. Perhaps he may want to have a word with this alien. In the meantime, secure the crash site until some of our salvage ships arrive. I expect this will take some time to clean up. If you find anything useful, secure it."_

"Sir," Alison said.

"_Did you find out anything else?"_

"This wreck may be more human than we thought. Sending a visual now."

Alison tapped a few commands on her Omni-tool and sent a visual of the wreck. For a minute, the captain did not reply.

"_UNSC," _Captain Hughes said thoughtfully, _"That must be either a government or military name of some sort."_

"What should we do about the alien, sir?"

"_...bring him to the locations I'm sending you…"_

_00000000000_

Thel 'Vadam remained still has he watched the soldiers in the armor stare back at him. Even as he was hunched over and sitting, he still was taller than them, but because their faces were covered by a helmet, he had no way of knowing what they were thinking right now. They may well fear him, but were able to control it. Judging his weapons had been collected, he had no reason to hurt them, not that he even wanted to inflict harm on these humans.

The only things he could really use were his camouflage and shielding. After his defection from the Covenant, he had taken the liberty of upgrading his shielding and camouflage abilities to the most recent technologies, but for all the good his new additions to his armor did in battle, it would not serve him here. This was no battle, and the Arbiter did not want to fight these humans. They had reason to be weary. He was an unknown, which confirmed his suspicion that this was not Earth as he knew it. In good faith and to show that he could be reasonable, he had surrendered his weapons, including his energy swords, his most prized weapons. Any other time, Thel would have rather battled to the death rather than surrender, as surrender and capture were things that a Sangeheili could never live with, but as Arbiter, he had changed much. He would, however, want back what they took later, but for now, he had to somehow convince these humans that he was of no threat to them and that he could be an ally.

Apart from trying to reason with these humans, the Arbiter's mind had wandered to how he had come here. Thel's mind turned to a distant memory during the Human-Covenant War. It was towards the end. The planet Reach was one of the bloodiest campaigns against the humans, and the reason for the Covenant's presence there was due to a Forerunner artifact. At the time, all the information regarding the artifact was somewhat unclear, but what was known was that if harness correctly, this artifact would allow the Covenant to increase the speeds of slipspace a hundred fold. They could travel from planet to planet in mere minutes and hours. There was even a theory that it could open the gateway to other galaxies. The portal to Installation 00 was also built by the Forerunners, so it was not a ludicrous idea to think that perhaps the portal had led him here. Perhaps the portal had also been affected by Halo's destructive energies as well, because alone, the portal would return to Earth. Thel did not think too hard about it. He was no scientists. He knew enough to keep his equipment, weapons, and ships operational and working. That was what Huragok were for.

Thel had no idea where they were going. He dared not to hope for anything that would make things any easier. He was always prepared for the worst, the worst in this case being killed or imprisoned. but if he knew humans, they may be at least willing to hear him out. Also, judging from the fact that they seemed to have no issues with him being an alien, he assumed that perhaps these humans had made friendly contact with other races. They certainly were not the humans he knew, but he would give them the benefit of a doubt. He had no reason to doubt or distrust them until he was given a reason.

Thel found himself counting the time it took to arrive at their destination. When he felt the small ship begin to descend, the soldiers watching over him began to relay some information to another person through their communications. Thel listened to as much as he could to try and figure out where he would be going. As far as he could make out, he was to be taken to a high-security location for something. Thel showed no hostile intentions, but if the treatment he received was unjust, he would convince these humans to change their rules, whether by diplomacy or intimidation. He would not allow anyone to control his fate.

The side door opened and Thel was guided into a rather big and spacious building. If there was one thing humans shared in common it was how they constructed their buildings. This city, from the limited view he had seen from the shuttle, was very grand and spectacular. It was called Vancouver, as he learned from one of the soldiers speaking likely to a commanding officer or superior. Despite the differences he could spot, it was still distinctly human, as were some of the ships in the sky. Seeing this city reminded him of the glassing of the city New Alexandria on Reach. The city was the capital of the planet, the "crown jewel" as humans said, but it was reduced to nothing but glass. Thel was quick to push that memory aside. He had burned enough cities. He did not want to burn any more.

As he followed the two soldiers guarding him, he was more than aware of the numerous stares he was receiving. Some were of curiosity, others were of awe, and the one Thel was most familiar with was that of fear. He did not blame them. His species in general was a fearful sight. Thel knew that few humans grew to the physical stature of the Sangeheili, some of the few exceptions being the Spartans. Humans did fear Sangeheili a lot, but it was that fear that drove them to protect themselves and others. As he passed by many different men and women walking, talking, and working, he could see that he stood at least half a meter taller than virtually everyone. He was use to the fear, but it did not mean he liked it any better. The best thing Thel could do was ignore the people. Their notice of him would probably go away as quickly as it came.

After some time of walking through numerous hallways and ducking of his head whenever a doorway presented itself, the Arbiter found himself in a plain room with a human bed and some other amenities, nothing luxurious or fancy, not that the he desired anything complicated. Sangeheili grew up living in a stark, efficient, and humble manner, and he was no different, but he did appreciate the kind gesture. Before he could take anything else in, one of his guards spoke.

"You will remain here until Admiral Hackett comes debrief you."

Thel merely nodded, then turned to the window that overlooked the city. This was the first chance he was getting at being in a quiet place with all his thoughts to keep him company.

00000000000

Jane Shepard was busy, or as busy as she was allowed to be given where she was now. She was rather divided about her current position. She understood the Alliance's fears about her association with Cerberus. She hated working for the Illusive Man. She only worked with Cerberus to save lives, nothing else, but Alliance brass were not convinced. Had she been anyone else, she would have been court martialed and discharged dishonorably, but given her impressive record and undying loyalty to the Alliance and to helping those in need. she was stripped of her rank and placed here. Her dealings with Cerberus were not elaborated on. The Alliance did not want the details, but the Alliance did not need reasons to arrest.

That had been six months ago. Now, Shepard lived in essentially a security prison, though Shepard had far more freedom that any prisoner could ever be given because she was the only prisoner. At first, she had been really agitated about being treated like this. She had fought so much and bled so much to save not just Humanity but the galaxy from the Reaper Sovereign and the Collectors and this was the thanks she was getting? She had even turned the _Normandy SR-2_ in addition to herself. She had been monitored and guarded for six months and the Alliance brass was still not convinced that she severed all ties to Cerberus. At times, Shepard began to wonder what the hell it would take to convince anyone that her word was not false and never would be. People just never learned.

Her musings were interrupted when Lieutenant James Vega entered the room. She looked from the datapad that she held and gave him a small smile. She liked the Lieutenant. He was serious, committed, and loyal. She didn't know much about him personally, but she was good about reading people, and from what she had seen of him, he was a good person. She was aware that he was an full N7 like her, and a good one as well. She could respect that. Even making it to the N7 was nothing short of amazing, but she hadn't seen his combat skills in action, although she did have faith in him. No one graduated from N7 without earning it.

"Commander," James said, "you doing good?"

"Yeah. Same as usual, I guess, just like every other day," Shepard replied nonchalantly.

"Well, after everything you've done, I'd say you've earned at least a break."

Another thing about James was that he was a huge fan and deeply respected her. Despite being stripped of her rank, he still called her by rank and saluted her as well. It was amusing, but she kind of wished he would talk to her more as a person than as a commanding officer. For some odd reason, it reminded her about Kaiden.

Kaiden Alenko. That name did not bring much comfort to Shepard now, although some time ago, it did, or so she thought it did. Kaiden had been with her through a lot, and she had trusted him to watch her back. Through their time together, a mutual attraction had grown, though Kaiden was not very subtle about his feelings, having slipped up multiple times throughout the campaign. Shepard found him to be sweet and caring. What she liked about him was that he did not discriminate against anyone, regardless of species, and was willing to be lenient with people, though probably not to her extent. Through the mutual attraction, they found love, and that night before Ilos, what they had shared was indeed memorable, but all that changed when she had died and been rebuilt by Cerberus.

On Horizon, she had tried to save the colonistst, but her efforts were not enough. She was already feeling guilty about losing so many lives, and it worsened when facing Kaiden. At first, she was beyond happy to see him, but when she tried to explain about her relationship to Cerberus, he completely ignored her words and all attempts to convince him that she worked with Cerberus only to save colonists. Although her face did not show it, she was hurt to the core. For some reason, Kaiden became someone she did not love anymore. Even after he sent an apology to her via email, her love for him did not reignite. The apology, though good in intention, did nothing to change her mind. Now, she wondered if she would ever see him again, and if she did, she didn't know how she was going to tell him about how she felt.

Although looking back, she now realized that just as he was angry at her for working with Cerberus, she was angry with him for doubting her judgement. She had felt betrayed and abandoned by the one person she thought loved her. That hurt more than any physical pain she had ever endured.

She shook the the thought from her head. She would cross that bridge when she got to it.

"Anything else interesting going on," Shepard asked.

James thought for a moment before answering.

"Well," he began, "I think we're receiving a new prisoner."

With nothing better to do, Shepard decided to pry for more information.

"Who?"

"I honestly don't know. There's been a lot going on today. I've got no details about the prison, just that they are to be kept here until further notice. I heard a rumor that it's not human."

That instantly got Shepard's interest piqued.

"Another species imprisoned on Earth?"

"Like I said, the details aren't known to me. I've heard lots of rumors and speculation, nothing solid."

"What are the rumors," Shepard inquired.

"Rumors says that this species is nothing we've ever seen before. A new species I guess. Some say it's just a really large Turian, some say it has to do with the storm that's coming. No one's saying anything about it, and I didn't bother asking Admiral Anderson for any details."

Shepard nodded.

**This chapter is a little boring and honestly, I had some difficulty trying to figure out how the First Contact interactions between the Arbiter and the Alliance would work out, so if this chapter came out kind of lame, I'll try to do better.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I notice that some say I got to work on grammar, and I agree. I'm trying to proofread more carefully. Also, when I update this story, it will be inconsistent, but I will try to get a chapter out at least every month at the worst. That being said, REVIEW so that I can get a better idea where people prefer or like this story to go. Don't sugarcoat your review. Say what was GOOD and BAD. Also, follow, favorite, and subscribe. Thank you all. Peace!  
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	3. Chapter 3: Politics and War Talks

Chapter 3: Weaker Humans

**Earth, Sol System**

** 20 Hours Before Reaper Invasion**

** 2186**

Admiral Steven Hackett had watched the feeds from the shuttles that remained to secure the crash zone of the vessel. According to Lieutenant Allison's observations from the outside and the team searching the wreckage, all evidence pointed towards this vessel being human. The evidence was clear as soldiers began to display visuals with writings and indications to locations. Pure human english, not a letter or word out of place. If a new faction of Humanity had developed somewhere else is space, Hackett would think that the Alliance would know about it. He briefly considered that maybe Cerberus was behind this. It was not a terribly far-fetched idea. They had resources. He was more than certain that they could create ships like these. They had, after all, built the _SSV Normandy SR-2_.

That thought was quickly vanquished when the recovery team discovered a few things. The first thing they found was an armory, comprised of an assortment of weapons. Some of them obviously human as they used bullets and cartridge clips to fire. The other weapons were nothing like any weapons they had ever seen. For one, they were too colorful even for the Citadel Council species. For another, there seemed to be no mechanism that allowed clips to be ejected or inserted. Finally, they did not fire bullets or projectiles. They fired some sort of high-energy bolt, like laser, or plasma, as one of the soldiers discovered. This was not of Cerberus's doing.

They had yet to discover what these weapons could do. So naturally, these weapons were recovered and loaded onto the shuttles to be delivered the Alliance headquarters so that the eggheads could have a field day. Apart from weapons and a few other unusual devices, there was nothing else of value, at least not intact and functioning. The crash site was to be taken care of later. There were more important things to be done.

If there was one thing that Thel 'Vadam had learned from these humans was that they seemed to be really submissive and willing to extend an olive branch rather than put up much of a resistance. He had seen it from the way he had interacted with these humans. In a way, that was fine by him. He would be better suited to get his way out of this if these humans were reasonable and were appeasable. Thel was very good at convincing others to come to his understanding.

However, Thel also realized that being submissive and docile were also signs of weaknesses, or perhaps fear. The UNSC had never been submissive and never was willing to negotiate all that much, at least to the extent of the System Allaince. They had fought and bled for their survival and were only willing to accept the Sangheili's aid only when it became clear that both shared a common enemy. That was why the war had been so long and bloody with the humans. They may not have been the ones to begin the war or wanted war at all, but they knew to do what was necessary to continue their own survival. Thel understood that fact more than most, seeing as the San 'Shyuum ordered the complete annihilation of the Sangheili races, the same punishment as the Humans. The one thing that the UNSC and the Covenant Separatists had in common was that it was either fight and win or fight and die. Giving up was simply not an option, especially when the stakes of victory and defeat were so high. The UNSC was fighting for the survival of humanity, as did the Sangheili.

Even as he watched these humans, for some reason, Thel could detect that they all gave off an air of caution and fear of things, maybe not of him, but of something. Although his political skills were not as adept as his leadership, tactical, and combat skills, he did have crystal-clear idea about why these humans were scared. Often times, enemies were scared deep down within their minds and souls. If one was skilled enough, one could learn to repress fear and mask it from rivals and enemies, but Thel knew that when one cornered their enemies and cut off all chances of retaliation and escape, most enemies would get on their knees and beg for their lives and try a last desperate chance. Thel had a feeling that these humans, this Systems Alliance, as he came to hear, would be quicker to lay down their arms before the UNSC. He supposed that this made him, in many ways, the superior being in terms of warriors spirit. These humans were quick to submit to authority and power if it served to further them or make them feel secure. Politics only sought to control and dominate others and Thel wanted no part of it really, but being Arbiter did not grant him any sort of exclusive privileges.

Besides his musings, Thel found himself pacing and waiting impatiently. It had been almost three Earth hours since his confinement, and despite his lenience towards the situation, his patience was not infinite, and he was still a Sangheili bound by honor, which demanded that if captured, he would either escape or die by his own hands. Had he still been in the Covenant, he would be long dead by his own doing.

The sound of a door opening became apparent to his ears and Thel turned his head slightly to see those armored soldiers guarding the entrance enter once again. Thel instinctively reached for his weapons and then realized that he did not have them on his person. Suddenly, he felt this regret at handing over his weapons. Perhaps surrendering his weapons was not a good idea. The comfort of his family's sword. Thel cursed under his tongue. He could have convinced these humans that even with his weapons, he would be of no threat, but asking for his weapons or trying to retrieve them now would be suspicious.

The soldiers did not say anything, but the gesture was understood by the Sangheili. Without a word, the guards begin to lead Thel down some more hallways and corridors until they reached a small room, virtually empty except for a small table and two chairs. There was an overhead light, but other than that, it was dark. Thel had a feeling that whoever this Admiral Hackett was coming, or was soon to be here. It was about time. If he waited any longer, he would begin to find ways to get what he wanted. Besides, he was also a bit weary of having to crane his head down every time a certain area was too short for his tall stature. Here, he was offered a small break by being able to stand at full height.

The door opened again, and a human of average height came through the door. Judging from his appearance, he appeared to be an aged human. The wrinkles and eyes could tell the Sangheili everything. The human also was an authority figure from the salutes he was receiving from the soldiers guarding the entrance. This, Thel assumed, was Admiral Hackett. The doors was closed, but if there was one thing that he knew about humans is that they were monitoring this room in case he dared to make a move against this one. A single soldier stood by the door. watching him specifically. Thel paid no mind to the soldier or the possible surveillance being conducted. He desired answers. That was it…and a possible way to return to things that knew.

For a moment, neither said anything, just sizing each other, and just watched just as intently as Hackett did. Then the human sat down and gestured to the empty seat that was nearby.

"I do not think that these seats can support my weight," he said.

"Theses chairs are sturdier than they appear," Hackett replied.

After a moment of consideration, Thel hesitated before sitting down. The chair did not groan or give any indication of collapsing as he expected. He quickly shook that thought aside. He had not time think of such small things.

"You seek answers, as do I," Thel continued.

"Yes," Hackett said, "Your presence here has caused somewhat of a panic amongst the Alliance. What's even more concerning is that you are not like any race we've ever encountered, hence the confinement."

"Why do you humans and your System Alliance have to take unnecessary precautions to...accommodate me? I would think that one is not worth your time," Thel growled.

"Look," Hackett began, " You probably have no idea if you know what we're up against, but we have an ancient race of genocidal machines called Reapers invading our galaxy."

A genocidal machine race? It sounded too much like the Flood all over again, and his honor demanded that enemies of this type were a parasite to be removed before they plague the galaxy. Such things could not be allowed to live. This was his chance to prove how he was more valuable as an ally than as a prisoner.

"Do I appear to be a mechanic being of any sort. I thought my show of surrendering was ample evidence that I am not your enemy and that I can assist you better if I am not confined," Thel asked annoyingly.

"No, you've showed no hostile intentions, and you don't look synthetic, but with everything going on now, people aren't think rationally. As far as the Alliance is concerned, you're an unknown and a potential threat, so I ask: who or what are you?"

Thel did not miss a second. He had been prepared for the question.

"My race is called Sangheili. I am the leader of my people, the Arbiter of my people. I have led our people against enemies that threatened genocide on my race and that of our allies. Our allies are humans."

"Humans," Hackett inquired, "We've never encountered your species, at least not that we know of."

"No," Thel agreed, "at least not in this galaxy. However, I come from a galaxy in which the Sangheili and humans are allies. We fought to help each other from a common enemy."

Thel had purposefully omitted the parts concerning the genocide the Covenant did against the humans. These humans need not know about the Human-Covenant War, and they would never need to know. The Admiral seemed to digest this information without much shock or astonishment, which led the Arbiter to assume that such things like other galaxies were not unheard things to these humans, either that, or that this one had been through enough and had seen enough to know that his sayings did carry some sort of merit or that there was a possibility.

"You'll forgive me if I find your story far-fetched," the admiral said.

Thel shifted his mandibles into what his species would recognize as a look of anger. His voice projected some of that anger.

"I am no liar. I would have nothing to gain from fabricating lies and fantasies. Everything I speak is truth. Whether you believe it or not is your decision, but choosing not to believe would be your loss."

"I have no reason to doubt you, but I have no reason to believe you either," Hackett continued. "So why should I believe you?"

Although the situation was far from a challenge, at least at face value, the Arbiter viewed it as a challenge. This admiral was challenging him to convince him. Thel was not one to back down from challenges, because in the end, he was always the victor.

"As I have said before, my show of surrender was suffice enough to show you I do not carry any ill thoughts towards your species. I offer my assistance because it seems to me that you have no experience when it comes to combating threats that can destroy galactic civilization. I do possess knowledge in this field. I can give you the means to prepare. I may not know these Reapers personally, but no matter the enemy, I can adapt and fight."

The Arbiter watched the human carefully as he thought about the words spoken. The face was neutral, giving off no emotions of any kind. This one was clearly a leader of many years. This Admiral Hackett reminded Thel of the UNSC Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood.

"I … will give the benefit of a doubt … for now, but the Alliance will not be so lenient, and unless you have hard evidence or some means to show us other than stories, they will keep tabs on you."

Thel shook his head in sheer amazement at their caution.

"Can you not persuade them to make an exception?"

"I will do what is within my power, but I doubt it'll be enough to ease his mind."

The Arbiter did not move nor did he respond. He watched through orange eyes, waiting.

"Moving on," Hackett said, "you said that you and your species are allies with the Humanity of your galaxy."

"Yes," Thel replied, "Our forces, the Covenant Separatists battled alongside the human United Nations Space Command against enemies that would seek to bring an end to all sentient life in the galaxy believing that in doing so, they would be delivered to Godhood. We also battled against an enemy that seeks to consume all sentient life in the galaxy and absorb it into their conscious. We fought against our enemies on Earth and on an ancient construct called the Ark, Installation 00. In the ensuing battle, I and my fellow comrades remained behind to end the threat once and for all. We knew that our lives may be forfeit, but we were determined to escape from the ensuing explosion that would destroy our enemies once and for all. One fell in combat. The two of us remaining attempted to escape via a Forerunner portal. I do not understand why, but the portal brought me here to this time."

"You mentioned that you were called Covenant Separatists. Were you and your race one part of some larger group?"

Thel had a response prepared. It was not difficult to pull that fact from what he had spoke. Thel paused in order to make it seem that he was hesitating on purpose.

"Yes, the Covenant Separatists were once part of another larger government, but that government is no more."

Thel was careful in what he said. He was good at letting people know the only things he wished for them to know, and he felt guilty for none of it because in the end, he was not lying in any fashion. He was merely leaving some facts and details out. Besides, what did it matter. If this was a truly different galaxy, which it was to him at this point, his past was of no consequence.

"And why did you leave?"

"We were lied to. There was a civil war, the Great Schism, that broke out within the ranks. We Sangheili despise traitors and liars and when betrayed, we declare war on those who would dare to betray us. In the ensuing war, the Sangheili resigned and became the Covenant Separatists and allied with the humans."

"Why did you not ally with the humans before this civil war," Hackett questioned.

"Before our resignation, we and Humanity had differences that prevented each from becoming allies, and neither had any sort of desire to become allies, and even after the Flood, the parasitic organism threatened to consume all sentient life in the galaxy, the leaders did not want Humanity's help. Being free of the prophet's lies, we chose to help the humans because they were fighting the parasite like the prophets were, and required their help. In the end, we aided each other and helped to win the war against the invaders. In the ensuing battle, the government was completely decimated."

Thel had to tread carefully here. Although he was fully confident that the story was very plausible, if there was one thing that humans did a lot, it was question things. He would continue the game. He would have to be as tenacious in answering as this admiral was in asking. In any case, he could not be cornered. He was telling the truth...to a certain degree.

**00000000000000000000**

Admiral Steven Hackett listened with great attention to this alien. The story that the alien, the Sangheili as it called its species, he was sure, was a dumbed-down version of the war he fought. The admiral had no reason to believe that this alien was lying. The way he spoke carried authority, certainty, and respect. It seemed that he knew a great deal of things, and if his claims were true that he was the leader of his people, then he seemed to be a sort of ideal figure, one that could inspire others to follow his lead and become better. That same voice also displayed honesty and honor. This may be easier than he thought.

However, now that he knew that he was dealing with a leader of a new species, he had to do this carefully. Any harm to this Arbiter could be catastrophic should his species ever find Earth, though he tended to doubt that since intergalactic travel was still a complete mystery to the galaxy. Hackett had no intention of causing harm, but whether he would do the same, he would see.

What was also unusual was that this galaxy had an ancient civilization that possessed technology, similar to that of the Reapers. Of course, he could be making that up as well. He might as well be making everything up and Hackett would not know the difference, but he would get nowhere if he didn't believe, so he would bite.

"I believe you. You are not the kind of individual I would think was a liar," he said, "but as interesting as this story is, this doesn't help our current situation. I honestly appreciate your offer to assist, but why would you want to help us? You don't know us. Why not just ask for a way off the planet?"

Even though the answer came almost immediately, Hackett could not help but notice that the alien's eyes looked somewhat readable despite not being human. One look into his eyes and it was apparent that he had seen a lot in his lifetime. The eyes also led him to believe that there was some hesitation or regret, something to indicate that he had indeed seen a crisis like the Reapers.

"The Sangheili are a warriors people. Our culture thrives on a warrior's spirit. It is the goal of every individual to become a warrior who serves in the military. We fight for honor and for glory. It is our privilege to fight and defend ourselves as well as our allies. I myself owe humans my own lives."

"But you have no obligation to us," Hackett countered.

"To you perhaps not," Thel said, "but a Sangheili's vows and promises are stronger than the strongest metals of a ship. I promised to help Humanity and I intend to do so, whether it be in my galaxy or this one."

Hackett was impressed by this alien's convictions, even if he felt they were somewhat extreme.

"Why do you feel that you must help Humanity?"

"For being part of a power who denied humanity, for denying them aid when they required our help. Our people cannot sit idly by as we watch a race fight and die trying to defend themselves, and that is what we did. Our race was once strong and had honor, but we strayed from the path. It is our duty to rectify the errors we have made. It is also our duty to see that parasites that would seek to destroy the galaxy be pushed back. These threats may seem unstoppable and unyielding, but I know that no enemy is truly invincible. They can be stopped."

"Maybe in your galaxy," Hackett spoke, "but here, it's another story. We're not prepared to go to war. According to our best soldier on the field, the Reapers are far more advanced than us. We have trouble enough trying to take down one, and we're told that a whole invasion force is coming to Earth. We simply don't have advanced enough technology to fight the Reapers."

The Admiral watched the alien. The alien's "mouth" or rather mandables shifted slightly, its mandibles twisting into an expression that he could not place. If he had to guess, maybe silent cursing or hard thinking.

"Superior technology means nothing if you are united with all comrades and allies. Surely. The humans in my galaxy did not falter when faced with extinction. They fought for everything they had left despite their technology being inferior to the Covenant. In the face of impossible odds, they stood their ground. Before we became allies, we fought humans, and we respect humans for their ability to fight."

Hackett realized that this alien was serious about a fighting culture. It seemed that no matter the odds, the only thing to do was fight, and from the alien's tone, fight to victory or death. It was an worthy trait, and Hackett wanted to believe that the galaxy wouldn't be destroyed by the Reapers, but from what he had seen, the facts just were not in their favor.

"I didn;t say that we will surrender Earth easily." Hackett argued, "We will fight to defend it, but we can't stay here and watch our species be destroyed."

"Do you not have allies or other races that can help," the Arbiter asked.

"Yes, we do." Hackett responded, "We are part of a galactic community called the Citadel Council, but they may not be willing to lend much help if they don't feel threatened by the Reapers."

"Can they not see the gravity of the situation? If the Reapers threaten the galaxy, that should be enough incentive to answer the call of war."

"You have to understand that the Citadel Council believes that this threat is not as great as it may be." Hackett explained, "And even if they did know, they would be hesitant."

"The Reapers will not give anyone time. If they are the power you speak of, then they will kill all. This Citadel Council must be made to acknowledge the threat and take action against the invaders."

"I understand your frustration, but the simple fact is we're not ready."

There was a five-second pause.

"Whether you are ready or not, you must fight."

Hackett was about to respond when the voice of the N4 soldier guarding the entrance spoke up.

"Sir, the other Admirals want to speak to you concerning Commander Shepard."

Hackett turned his head towards the Sangheili.

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to cut this short. The N4's will bring you back to your room. If we are allowed to speak again, I will see what the admirals will say."

The alien nodded.

Thel watched the human leave the cell. Shortly after, the soldier guarding gestured for him to follow, and he did in silence. As soon as he entered the familiar room, he began to think over what had been said.

He was right. The System Alliance were fearful, more so than the UNSC. They would be quicker to fear and defeat than the UNSC, at least in spirit. They did not believe they had a chance against the Reapers. Thel did not think this was an apt excuse to even entertain the idea of giving up. There was no excuse that could possibly justify not fighting to the death, at least not to him, especially when the lives of so many depended on victory or defeat, but humans shared so many different opinions regarding how to handle war. Caught between a rock and a hard spot, as the human saying went, Thel could only influence through his words, and even that may not be enough.

_Politics be damned, _he inwardly cursed.

**00000000000000000000**

"The word of one new alien species is not enough. He could by lying to us."

"If you'd been there to speak to him, it would almost be immediately apparent that he couldn't be lying," Hackett argued.

"He could easily be a good liar," another admiral said.

"As much as I am hesitant towards this Sangheili," Admiral Anderson interrupted, "I would think we'd be rather stupid to pass up the assistance."

"But what can one individual do against the Reapers," Admiral Mitchell questioned.

"You should ask that same question to the former Commander Jane Shepard," Anderson immediately replied. "Against all odds, she has triumphed against impossible odds, and now she's been "detained" because she was working to save the people we weren't willing to save."

"Shepard was working with Cerberus. That, alone, is treason," O'Brien said, "The only reason we still even value her at all is because of her record. This is a new situation altogether. We know nothing about this Arbiter or his intentions. It sounds too easy for this alien to just side with us."

"Do you truly expect an alien to just reveal all of his secrets just because of this situation he's in? He had no reason to tell anything to us," Hackett pressed, "but he did. What's more, he's offered to help."

"Do not compare this alien to Shepard," Kyles chided.

"Why not," Anderson barked, "Shepard can inspire individuals of all races, pasts, and personality. If this alien is truly genuine, which he seems to be, then we're fools to turn down help."

"But he's only one,' O'Brien commented.

"A very important one, mind you," Hackett said, "If his claims that he is the leader of his people are true, then we have an opportunity to make an ally."

"To make an ally of a species that doesn't even exist within our galaxy? What good would that do us?"

"This is hardly the matter at hand" Anderson spoke, "The matter at hand is that we have Reapers coming, and we have no idea how to face a threat of this magnitude. We need someone who knows these enemies."

"Which is why we have Shepard," Mitchell said, "We don't need the help of an unknown."

"Then perhaps Shepard can use this alien. She has many friends that are different species. She could use allies," Anderson said.

"No! We are not reinstating Shepard. She has done enough. We will be ready."

"Do you truly believe that," Hackett said, "We have hundreds of ships in orbit above Earth, and we're anything but certain that we're ready. Our only chance is to go to the council for help."

"The Council won't listen to us," Admiral West rebutted, "They're content to sit back and watch."

"That is exactly why Shepard is needed. She can rally the support we need. Why can't you see that?"

Anderson's annoyance and anger was present. Everyone knew that Anderson was close to Shepard, like a second father. Hackett, too, would support Shepard as well. It was soon becoming clear that the board was weakening in their denial. They had little choice in the matter. With their time growing short, it only made their frantic behavior worse. The silence that filled the room only served to worsen the tension. Anderson continued to glare, Hackett continued to remain neutral, while the others looked off into space.

**00000000000000000000**

Shepard tapped away at the datapad she had. She would be using her Omni-tool, but since the Omni-tool did not give much for visuals, she had to use the next best thing. Despite spending her time trying to vaguely keep up with the Alliance going-ons, she needed to get out. Sitting here, doing utterly nothing was setting her on edge. She was made for battle. It was her element, and that was what caused a bit of fear to grip her. She was beginning to think that all the combat she had done over her time in the Alliance had begun to affect her negatively. like PTSD negatively.

With all the things she had seen over the last two years, she wondered if perhaps her mind was intact or if she was slowly being influenced by the Reapers. She would not allow it as long as she drew breath. She…

"Commander," James's voice cut off her thoughts.

She paused from her musings, all fear and doubt gone. She was not weak. She was better than this. Her time would come soon.

"Just got a message from Anderson, The Committee will be seeing you tomorrow at 1100 hours."

Finally, something to do.

**Not exactly the most exciting chapter I've ever written, but this is a very delicate thing to deal with. I deeply apologize if this story has too little going on now, but I believe that it is important not to rush stuff like this. As always, REVIEWS are welcome, and tell me everything that went well and what needs to be better, and if this chapter sucked, I'll fix whatever needs work. Many thanks for reading. Peace!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Call to Battle

Chapter 4: The Arbiter's Chance

**Earth, Sol System**

** 1030 Hours**

**30 Minutes before Reaper invasion**

** March 7, 2186**

Thel 'Vadam had eventually forced himself to sleep, his weariness taking over and preventing him from thinking any further. He needed the rest. Besides, if these humans were going to take as long as they desired, then he would be here a long time, and best to prepare for the worst thing to happen. Now Thel was seriously beginning to lose all signs of respect for these humans. It was clear that they were not faced with this magnitude of a threat, and that in turned fueled their hesitance to take tangible action against those that would threaten all that they held dear. Sooner or later, these humans would be made to see the truth, whether it be before the invasion, or after so much death and destruction.

It also occurred to Thel that the Alliance had absolutely no idea when the invasion was going to happen. They just knew it was happening soon, but soon could mean today. As the Arbiter stared outside and looked into the sky, the sky was extremely grew and dull, nothing like the previous day. It was like a foreshadowing of the death and destruction to come. He could feel it in his bones, the unmistakable feeling.

Perhaps Admiral Hackett had listened. Older humans were better in that respect. They knew better than the younger generation what to do. If the Alliance officer knew what was good for his cause, then he would accept what Thel had told him and welcome his help. That was the best hope, but Thel was not a very hopeful Sangheili, not now, not when so much apparently was at stake for not just Earth, but for all planets and all species.

In any case, the time for passive talk was over. He needed become aggressive. It was clear that his message was seeping into Hackett's mind, but the acceptance was too slow. They had to accept it now or never if they wanted to stand a chance. There simply was no time to find time for acceptance with a galaxy-ending machine race on the loose. The time for talk should have been long gone. It was time to fight, to be free or die trying to be free. To let such a race as the Reapers destroy the galaxy was fine if they galaxy fought to its dying breath to save it.

The Alliance soldiers guarding his prison had not decided what to give Thel in terms of sustenance, so he simply said that anything of animal flesh would suit his needs. Although he was unaccustomed to human eating habits, he did know that a Sangheili prefered meat as they leaned towards more carnivorous meals. He did not complain about what he was given. He had no need and there were more important things at hand than his own hunger. He could go for days without food or water, but it was best to take advantage of whatever he could get because it may be a while before he had the time to let his guard down.

With food and water aside, Thel made sure that his armor was running at optimal performance, checking the integrity. He made sure to also see that his air-tight seals was sealed tightly so he could perform zero-gravity operations should he need to do so. His entire armor diagnostic showed little damage and was airtight. He also made sure to check his active camouflage and energy shields. Since the original active camouflage of the armor lasted five seconds at most, he had opted to install modern active camouflage that would allow him to remain invisible indefinitely and his shielding was the best that the Sangheili had to offer. He just hoped it was enough. Because his knowledge of technology was limited to a basic maintenance and system check, he had to hope that this galaxy's weapons were.

Speaking of weapons, Thel was twitching for anticipation to reacquire his weapons. He had laid down all of his weapons in surrender, yes, but Thel was no fool. He was not without some weapons. He did have one weapon on his person, albeit concealed. He was rather surprised that these humans did not do checks for any more weapons, but it did not matter. If forced to, he could fight, but he knew that he was limited. Even with all of his weapons with him, he was at a disadvantage. Thel knew that despite his weapons never running out of ammunition with his type-51 carbine being the exception, they took time to recharge, not something that he would have ample time for considering that battles were fought with every second making a difference. Now, assuming that his weapons and equipment was in order, there was the order of actually knowing who he was fighting with.

If these Reapers were like the Flood in any manner, than they were an opponent that tried to destroy by using sheer numbers to overwhelm their enemies. If they were intelligent, then it would be time to begin using more battle tactics. The worst thing to ever do was to assume an enemy was beneath oneself. The Covenant had once believed humans to be primitive, which they were, but that did not stop them from being an extremely difficult opponent to combat.

With his armor at its best and his mind now trying to occupy himself with other things. He did miss Sanghelios as much as his brothers. He himself did not have a mate to go home to. His position in the Covenant as as the Arbiter did not allow for the time. Besides, Thel found the idea of a female unappealing to him now. War and battle was his only love, but not to say that he did not care for the Sangheili as a whole. He simply had no interest in finding a mate, and he was in no hurry to find one.

_Where are those blasted humans. If they would make haste, I might not wander into these foolish thoughts._

As if his prayers were answered, the door opened and there was a different human there, this one not Admiral Hackett. The immediate difference was that this human was of a different color, a more darker skin tone, like Sergeant Johnson. That the the first and only similarity that he could say the two possessed. Even though no words had been spoken, it was clear that this one was far more composed and calm, the marks of a leader with experience and knowledge of past events. To the human's credit, he merely looked into Thel's eyes, not challenging, but not weak either, a show of stability, authority, and respect. Thel could also see that this one could have possibly been a soldier or a warrior of some sort in previous time. The eyes told Thel what he needed to know, and Thel knew from experience that no matter how much one could hide from others, the eyes told everything. It was fortunate that human eyes were just as readable as that of Sangheili eyes.

The silence that followed was one in which both assessed each other, albeit with only eye contact. Neither moved, neither spoke, and neither wavered. A few seconds past, then a few more, then a few more. Then the human began the words.

"Admiral David Anderson."

"Arbiter Thel 'Vadam."

Two pairs of eyes looked into each other, but nothing else happened. Then the slience was broken again.

"You are a leader," Anderson spoke.

"As are you," Thel responded.

"I can also see a warrior," he answered.

"I also see one."

"Perhaps you do speak truth. I believe so."

"You would be wise to accept what I can do."

"I can't judge you by your words," Anderson answered, "I have another way to see how you can help."

Thel's interest was piqued, but he was also suspicious. If they were leading him into a trap, he would not fall victim to it. He would see what this truly was.

"What sort of test," Thel asked.

"We have a ship, _SSV Normandy_. She is unique amongst the fleet due to the being the only Alliance vessel with a stealth drive. It is one of the few ships that has had other alien crew members in the past. Perhaps you would be best suited to be taken there and we will see how you may help us."

A long pause. Thel's mind was swarming with many thoughts. He had no doubt that this human was telling the truth, but there was more than simple hesitation towards this situation. IN fact, there was no hesitation. He was simply weighing his options. If he was stationed aboard a vessel with other species besides humans, there was opportunity to find out more about these Reapers and find a way to stop him. Another thing that was also important, but the more difficult challenge was finding a means to return home, back to the Sangheili, and to the UNSC humans that had become allies and friends. He wanted to go home, He was needed home.

_But this galaxy needs help too. Do I abandon a galaxy in need of assistance in exchange for my return to the galaxy I know?_

Normally, he would have no such dilemmas in previous years gone, but now, after everything that he had endured, he was not so sure now. In the past, he would be compelled to help everyone that required help. It was simply not his nature, but that had been during the Covenant days. He promised to never let the Covenant ever affect the way the he and the Sangheili lived their lives. Now that he was faced with the dilemma of self-interests over altruism. He admonished himself for feeling an obligation towards these humans. He should just leave them to their devices, but if he knowingly left a galaxy in peril without doing anything was worse, but he simply could not abandon his species.

_What would Rtas 'Vadam do? The honorable and noble thing._

By the Forerunners, he did not want to make this decision, but he had already made up his mind, and he hoped that it was the right one, for his sake.

"I will help," Thel began, "but I do ask for one thing."

"I'm listening," Admiral Anderson said.

"In exchange for this help," Thel answered slowly, "when the war is over, I would like assistance in helping to find my way back to where I belong. There is a way I can return home."

Thel was not one to ask for much, but he felt that whatever demands he made would be justifiable. Helping to save a galaxy would be more than enough for the humans to assist him in his return home.

"Although I find your terms agreeable, I'm going to have to bring this to the Security Council. The council is still split about what to do."

The Arbiter moved his mandibles into what his species perceived to be a frown. More indecisiveness. Just how much time did these humans waste. He could take it no longer.

"This game has gone on long enough," the Sangheili growled. "Either accept my assistance or release me from captivity, but do not waste my time with talk."

"I wish I could do more, but it's out of my power," Anderson said calmly.

"Where are your other admirals? If they cannot accept the nature of the coming war, then I will make them see reason, and that fails, then the Reapers will force you to see it."

The admiral paused mid-sentence, trying to come up with something to say. Thel did not doubt that one admiral, or shipmaster, would have only so much say, but he wanted to see who he was dealing with. He could then know how to better deal with them. Being in the dark had worn down the last of his patience. The admiral sighed somewhat.

"The council won't take well to this," Anderson said.

"Their opinion of me matters little," Thel replied.

"If I didn't think that you were being truthful, I wouldn't grant you this chance," Anderson said.

"I do not waste what is given to me," Thel said annoyingly.

Admiral Anderson motioned for the Arbiter to follow. Thel followed. A pair of the troopers guarding the door followed close behind, though they seemed a bit more relaxed than in previous hours. Anderson and the Arbiter did not speak much, and Anderson led only slightly. As they walked through the hallway, the bustling halls and rather frantic behavior that played on the human's faces was not lost on the Sangheili. In their rush, many of the personnel did not even notice the odd individual that walked through the halls, and Thel, in turn, did not really pay much mind to them. They had a duty to complete, as did he. The only individual that held his notice for more than a two seconds was one that appeared more bulkier than the others. He possessed short hair as humans called it. His skin tone was darker than that of the others around him, though not quite as dark as that of the admiral. That moment lasted maybe four seconds, then his attention resumed to their march.

When they arrived at yet another door, a human female officer turned her head to face them.

"Admiral," she began, "the committee would like you to retrieve Commander Shepard for the briefing."

"I'll go as soon as I explain something," Anderson said.

"Sir, the committee is not expecting our gue..."

The officer did not finish as Thel growled. He would not be denied.

"...I'm sure the committee will understand," she said quickly.

If the situation was not so dire, Thel might snort at how easily the human cowered at him.

Without wasting time, Anderson turned to continue their rapid walk. The minute Thel entered the room, he could feel almost sense the fear that was seemingly apparent. The whole room was lit with action. Many officers sat on either side of the room at monitors and computers working away. At the other side of the room was a semi-circle table, which Thel assumed to be where the members of the Alliance Security Council sat. The leaders seemed to be expecting Anderson, but frowned at the sight of Thel.

"Anderson," one said, "I thought we said to retrieve Shepard, not our captive."

"I am called the Arbiter," The immediately responded. "I am no ones prisoner."

"The Arbiter," Anderson continued, "wants a word. I believe that he has earned that much."

"We don't have time for this, Anderson. What we need is Shepard," one of the female members said.

"I will not be ignored," the Arbiter growled. "If you will not accept my assistance, then release me from this place. Let yourselves be destroyed by your own fear. See the price of cowering from the enemy."

"What would you know about this," another demanded. "You don't know the threat we face."

Thel's head turned to see that Anderson had already left, but he did not need help to stand for himself.

"I know all about galactic genocide," the Arbiter said in a deadly tone, "you do not. When an all-powerful races comes to wipe out all life, there is only two possible outcomes: fight or die."

"While you may know about that in your galaxy, this is our galaxy."

The Arbiter did not bother to question how they knew of his story. Hackett had most likely told them.

"It matters not the enemy nor the allies." he began...

**00000000000000000000**

Commander Jane Shepard watched the kid outside playing. It was cute, and she was smiling for once. It was nice to know that through all the things going down and what was happening that there was at least something good left to fight for.

The sound of the door opening made her turn her head around to face James. She hadn't been expecting anyone else to begin with.

"Commander," James said with a salute.

"James," she said with a shake of the head, "how many times have I told you not to call me by rank?"

"Enough times, Commander, but it's a habit," he responded.

She nodded.

"The defense's committee's ready to see you."

Now ready for something to happen, Shepard immediately began walking. James followed suit. She noticed the various people rushing all around her. Something was going on.

"Why's everyone in a rush," Shepard asked.

"Don't know," James shrugged, "but it's something big. Defense committee didn't give details to me."

From the crowd Admiral Anderson came forth. He looked focused and on a mission, but Shepard was still happy to see him.

"Anderson," she said.

"Shepard," he responded. "you look good. How've you been holding up?"

"Had better days," she said, "but I won't complain about some things. Food and showers."

"We'll find a way," Anderson said before turning to resume walking.

Shepard followed quickly behind along with James.

"What's going on? Why's everyone rushing?"

"Admiral Hackett has mobilized the Alliance fleet. Something big's headed our way," Anderson said grimly.

"The Reapers." It was less of a question and more like a statement,

"We're not certain."

"There's nothing else out there that big. If the committee thinks that we're ready for this, they're in for a surprise."

"Tell them that," Anderson said, half annoyed, half disappointed. "They only go off of what is seen on screen or seen by other soldiers. They don't understand like you do. You've spoken to a Reaper, then blew it up. You know about what the harvesting is, and what else they plan to do."

"So that's why I'm grounded," Shepard said bitterly. "That's all I'm good for?"

"Jane, you know better than that. If you were anyone else, you would be tried, court-martialed, and discharged, but your record and your knowledge of the Reapers is what stopped those from happening."

"And your good work," Shepard added.

"I trust you, the committee does too, they're just disinclined to show it."

Shepard snorted softly.

"I'm a soldier, not a politician," Shepard retorted. "If they want my help, they should put me where there's action."

"It doesn't matter what you are, Shepard. All that matters is that you help us stop this."

Shepard didn't respond, but she knew that Anderson would get the message. They were caught.

They passed by an officer who began to lead them into the main chamber. They both quickened their strides as they moved through the halls.

"Good luck, Shepard," James spoke.

"Thanks," she responded and shook his hand.

As she let go of his hand, she heard a voice call out her name.

"Shepard."

She turned her head to see the one person that she was not sure if she was happy, sad, or angry to see. She decided to respond in a questioning way.

"Kaiden?"

"Major," Anderson acknowledged. "Anything to report?"

"Nothing you don't already know, sir," the biotic replied.

"Major," Shepard inquired.

"Didn't hear," Anderson asked.

"No," Shepard answered. "I'm out of the loop these days."

"Sorry, Commander," Kaiden apologized.

"You have your reasons, Kaiden," Shepard dismissed.

"Guess so. Good to see you," Kaiden smiled.

"You too," she smiled back.

"Come on."

Shepard spared one more glance at Kaiden before following Anderson.

Normally, Shepard would not be surprised by the room that followed. She was a Council Spectre who had fought Reapers, Collectors, and thousands of people who dared to cross her. She had seen and experienced things that would make any other being crumble and cower in fear, She had endured more pain than a whole battalion of troopers. She had suffered attempted indoctrination from the Reapers. She had died and been reborn. She had fought against impossible odds and always emerged alive and victorious. That was why when she entered the room, she was a bit surprised by what waited. There were officers working at computers and the Alliance Security Council sitting in their positions, but that was not what drew her attention. Rather, it was the individual who stood in the center of the room, arguing with the council.

Shepard at first did not know what to think besides that this alien was unlike anything she had ever seen. The physical appearance from the back did not appear like anyone else she had ever seen.

"Shepard," one of the committee members said.

The alien turned to face her, and for a moment, she got a slight chill. The alien was massive, standing far taller than her. Not only was the alien taller, but extremely big physically. However, the intimidation was softened by the armor that he, she guessed from his masculine voice, wore. It looked like something that a ceremonial warrior would wear. It was very elegant and beautiful, fitting for only a truly worthy fighter. The alien was roughly humanoid, with two arms ending in four-fingered hands, two legs elongated and looking a bit like that of a Quarian ending in large feet. She really could not place the look, for this alien was too different from any species to make a comparison. At best, she could make out similar characteristics, but that was it. His head was also armored and instead of a mouth as most Citadel species, he had mandibles, four, also armored.

The most striking feature was the orange-emerald eyes. Although alien in quality, Shepard could read the eyes, and right now, they told of one who had seen enough, had endured much. The judging eyes that watched her did not scare her. She was use to this. Many underestimated her, which usually was their undoing.

Her interest was cut short as Anderson cleared his throat. She shook her head slightly and focused on the task at hand.

"We've been receiving disturbing reports. Whole colonies have gone silent. No contact has been established."

A datapad was given to Shepard, and she quickly scanned the reports. She was startled by the extremely bad reports. No other species in the galaxy could cause so much harm so quickly. The answer was already clear. When she spoke, her tone was serious and to-the-point.

"Councilor," Shepard said, "I think you know the answer to your question. The Reapers have arrived."

The room seemed to stand still as everyone heeded the words. Most were fearful, looking at one another. Shepard could see them all, but she said nothing. She had to let the truth sink in. The Alliance, whether it was ready or not, would have to fight.

"How do we stop them?"

Stepping forward to make her point, Shepard took the time to make sure that all paid close attention. She would not repeat a second time.

"Stop them," Jane questioned incredulously, "Stop them?! This is about survival, not war. We're outgunned, outsmarted, and out powered, The Reapers will destroy everything without fear, regret, or hesitation."

Even Shepard was now simply stunned at the committee's ignorance. What did it take to see that they couldn't win through conventional means?

"There must be a way," one of councilors said with a bit of a stutter.

"There is only one way to win: we fight. Every last one of us must be prepared to fight and die for the survival of Humanity. If we all don't do this, we've lost."

That was the truth of the matter, and Shepard would not change anything she had said. Not one bit, but it still wasn't enough for the committee.

"We fight. That's our strategy?"

"Admiral," said another voice, "We've lost contact with the Lunar Base."

"The moon," Anderson said. "I had no idea they were that close."

"Receiving visuals now."

All eyes, including the alien turned to watch the screen. From the video feeds of many cameras showed the all-too-familiar shape of Reapers ships. Shepard's thoughts revisited that of Sovereign and Harbinger. All Reaper ships were naturally very strong, durable, and worth a small fleets of strength. If even several were in one area, it would be disastrous. The Reapers easily laid waste to all that came within their vicinity and no amount of resistance was doing anything to deter them in the least. Watching them from the skies was bad enough, but there were cameras capturing civilians trying to flee from the husks that were now beginning to swarm the streets and places where the larger Reapers could not reach.

"Why hasn't Admiral Hackett made contact?"

Anderson's question suddenly had Shepard wondering too. If the Reapers had completely bypassed the Earth defenses, then was that fleet above Earth in shambles? Had Hackett died or did he retreat?

"What do we do?"

Shepard had enough of this. If this wasn't proof enough for the Defense Committee, then nothing would ever be.

"We do the only thing we can do; We FIGHT," she stated again.

No one argued, and no one said anything, but there was no need to say anything. A strange noise filled the room. It a mixture of a loud banging with a strange buzz. Everyone tensed up. All eyes turned to face the large window.

From the skies shot red lightning. It was followed by a Reaper, main weapon firing away, turning everything in its path to slag, and it was headed right for them.

**00000000000000000000**

The Arbiter watched as the strange ship landed. Its look. It looked too much like the Parasite. Based on what he was seeing, the Reapers were appearing as the flood with a new face and a slightly altered goal, but the ultimate one still being the destruction of all life. As the crimson laser began tearing through the earth, it suddenly shifted course and headed towards the structure they were standing in.

With his battle experience kicking in, Thel knew that the best thing to do was save the Human woman, Shepard first. She was important.

"Get DOWN," Shepard shouted.

The beam tore through the glass and sent the table careening across the room. Thel had no doubt that those at the head did not survive. Thel was quick to step in front of Shepard and grab her and throw her to the side. He had little time to dodge the incoming table as it struck him head-on and tossed him into a wall. The pain lasted for a bit, but he forced himself to his feet. He checked to make sure that all was clear. He then turned to notice that the only other human that still stood was Anderson. Thel made his way quickly to Shepard.

"Get up, human," he called.

The woman appeared disoriented for a moment, but she soon rose, taking a deep breath before surveying the sight before her. Thel reached into his belt to pull out a concealed plasma pistol. It was fully charged and ready for use.

"Here," he offered the weapon.

"Thanks," she said. She observed the weapon, obviously not familiar with the alien design., but the Arbiter was not concerned. She would learn. Most humans did.

"Shepard, you still here," Anderson interrupted.

"Still alive and kicking," she grunted.

Now that Thel was completely unarmed, he needed a weapon.

"I need my weapons back, Where have you taken the weapons of… my ship?"

"You weapons are in a neighboring building-"

Thel had heard enough.

"I will locate you once I find the proper armament."

Thel began to sprint to the window, activating his shields and his active camouflage before descending into battle…

**Alright, I put a lot of effort into this one. Had to think and rethink it over. Finally came up with this. Don't know if you guys are satisfied, but I did what I thought was best.**

**Before anyone tells me, I know. If there are any grammar problems or misplaced characters, that's my fault. I want to remain true to a weekly update so I rushed to get this out.**

**Some of you were saying that Thel was too passive, and I thought that now would be a good time to bring out the more aggressive side of him, but keep in mind that as Arbiter, Thel usually resorts to negotiation and fights back when forced to, at least in some situations. Against Reapers, he'll attack.**

**Also, concerning weapons, I decided that since Thel is Sangheili and plasma weapons are his forte, I would give Thel the advantage of rechargeable plasma-based weapons. Weapons like the UNSC won't be like that, or his Type-51 carbine. However, that advantage will only work to a certain extent. He's not going to have unlimited shots. He'll have recharges between missions.**

**Finally, Thel is NOT going to be Shepard's subordinate. Not on your life. Thel and Shepard will fight as equals. This will play an integral part later in the story.**

**As always, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Tell me what went good and what went bad. If you're looking forward to action, they'll be enough of that soon enough. Thanks for reading. Peace!**


	5. Chapter 5: Siege of Earth

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or Halo. These are the property of Bioware and 343 Industries respectively.**

Chapter 5: First Invasion of Earth

**Earth, Sol System**

** Six minutes into Reaper Invasion**

** March 7, 2186**

Jane Shepard looked over the weapon that she now held in her hand, the one that the alien had given to her. She now wished that she had asked him a bit more about it. The design was nothing like she had ever seen. It was a very small weapon and very light. The shape was a bit unusual and she had to hold it very differently from the types of sidearms that she had used before. The color scheme, too was very unusual, with green, grey, blue, and a tint of purple here and there that were apparent. At first, she was hesitant, not sure how this weapon worked and how to fire it or what damage it would do or what it fired. She could not discern any power source, clip, or magazine type. However, before she could even ask a question, the alien was suddenly gone, and Shepard could swear that he had turned invisible as he disappeared before his form fell from sight.

Sighing to herself. Shepard took the weapon and began to get a feel for it, how to hold it. She would figure out soon enough how accurate it was and how much damage it would do as she went. She went to the ledge of the now shattered glass window and overlooked the scene, taking it all in, the sight of Reapers tearing down Vancouver block by block, the sound of gunfire and weapons discharging in the distance, the smell of smoke and debris, the feel of the atmosphere, all of it. Shepard knew that in that moment, she had to get back in the fight. If the Reapers were allowed to win, every single man, woman, and child on Earth and in the galaxy would die or be used by the Reapers, and this is what the machine race left in their wake. The destruction had to end now. The Reapers had to be destroyed. The galaxy without their homes would not be worth fighting for or living for.

She stepped outside wary of the narrow metal beam that she was standing on. She turned to run, following Anderson, her weapon out and ready. There were no enemies that were apparent, but Shepard could guess that if Reapers were involved, there would be husks nearby.

"Major Alenko, I'm patching Shepard in. What's your status," Shepard heard Hackett say over the comm. "

"_We're taking heavy fire."_Kaiden shouted, _"Almost to the Normandy. Lieutenant Vega is with me. We'll see you soon."_

Shepard had no doubt that Kaiden was faring fine. He was a methodical soldier and deadly soldier.

"Husks," Anderson called out.

Shepard spotted them as they began scaling the wall of a building opposite to the position. Taking as best the aim as she could, she pulled what she guess to be the trigger. The small pistol didn't fire a bullet or a projectile of any sort. It fired an energy bolt of some kind. She pulled the trigger in rapid succession and the weapons responded accordingly. The three shots she fired hit her target and she saw as the bolts seemed to melt through the body and incinerate the inners of the creature and it dropped dead. She quickly turned to fire at another at the top. A third tried to lunge at her, and she called upon her biotic abilities and launched a biotic fist into the creature, completely obliterating its upper chest. The husk flew back.

Making sure that Anderson was still around, Shepard noticed that he had dropped a level below. Spotting a ladder, she rapidly slid down, landing to the ground with a soft thud, then she swept the area for any hostiles. She ducked in cover as four husks descended to her level. She waited three seconds before taking a peek over her cover. They didn't even notice her. They were more interested in getting into a room that was locked from the outside. They began to try to attempt to beat down the walls to gain entry. Jumping from cover, Shepard called upon a biotic slam and sent three flying into the air and back to Earth. She fired three quick bolts into their faces before turning to club the forth with her weapon, the stomping on it with her boot. Once she made certain that it was clear, she signaled Anderson to advance.

In the distance, a Reaper Capital ship began to fire its main energy beam, and Shepard, anticipating its trajectory, she sprinted away and ducked down. Anderson did the same as the beam tore through the area she was once on. The now locked building was now open from the doorway, but the walls had also been tore down.

As she moved to enter, she heard another husk's cry. Holding her weapon up, she entered. The room was clear, but she didn't want to take chances. Checking the room for any enemies and then for any potential resources, she then turned to find another door, locked with red, but she then saw it flicker green and then a husk attempted to grab her, and she biotically punched it, causing it to fly out of sight.

With the doorway now open half a meter, she turned and worked her strength in her arms and her cybernetic implants to push the door open enough.

"In here," Shepard called. "Quick!"

Anderson moved to slip between the crack and to the other side. Shepard was about to follow suit, but a clanking sound came to her ears, and she turned her head sharply, but no one was around. She let go of the doors, and they still remained half a meter open, Shepard trained her weapon, watching with careful eyes. She moved forward, only to look to her right. A ventilation shaft was open, and there hiding in it was a boy, who cowered away from her the instant she spotted him. Immediately, her compassion took over as she tried to keep the kid in sight and help.

"Hey," Shepard whispered with her best compassionate voice.

She kneeled down and saw the boy backing further down the shaft. He looked scared, and her presence didn't seem to make him feel any better.

"There's so much death," the boy sputtered.

She didn't know what to say. He was a boy. On one hand, she didn't expect him to understand, and in a way, she felt bad for the kid. He was seeing things that should not be seen by children his age. On another hand, her more battle-hardened side cursed that this boy had seen enough and was still alive, so he would have to cope with it whether he liked it or not. Trying to shove her inner conflict inside, she looked outside to see a Reaper on the move. She turned back to face the kid.

"You're not safe here," Shepard said and reached out, "Take my hand. I need to get you to safety."

"You can't help me. No one can," the boy argued.

She was hurt, more so that she showed. In a way, she had to confess that at times like these, it did feel that way, that the Reapers were just too much, and that losing was not a matter of "if" but more a matter of "when".

"Shepard," Anderson called from the doors. "You okay?"

Shepard turned her head for a moment, then she turned back, only to find the shaft empty and with no trace of any boy. She shook head. Did she just imagine the kid there? She didn't want to think that she was abandoning the boy, but he had gone away from her. She shook her head in frustration and in sadness as she turned to follow Anderson.

**00000000000000000000**

Thel 'Vadam moved fast and with grace as he remained cloaked. It had only been mere minutes and already, he could see the many Reaper ground troops that littered the ground, destroying things up and close while the Reaper ships destroyed on a large scale. Getting a clear look at their forms, he could easily see that these filthy creatures, some of them, resembled humans, and if he had to guess, the others were once alien species. It disgusted him and it made him more determined to defeat this threat. The Flood was a blight that had to be destroyed for the well-being of all other species. These Reapers had to die too. Any race that converts and kills others had to be eradicated.

Seeing a gap ahead, he took off in a sprint and at the last second, he leaped, and he crossed a few meters before coming to a stop on the other side. The roofs of every building was littered with wreckage and debris. The destruction was all around, and Thel took note of all of it, but he remained true to his course. He needed to equip himself with his weapons. If Admiral Anderson had been truthful, which was still questionable, then his weapons was in the next building. He began to search for an entrance of some sort. The doors of this galaxy were similar to that of the UNSC humans, green when open and red when locked. but no door could really hold him back. He could easily tear down or bash down any door getting in the way.

It was then he spotted two human parasites climb onto the roof he stood on. Although Thel could have easily left them alone, he decided to see what these creatures were capable of, or see if they could even combat him at all. Keeping quiet, he quickly grabbed one and threw it over the edge with one arm. It weighed about as much as a normal human, which meant he could easily thrash one around with his strength. The other husk closed the distance and Thel saw it suddenly give off an electrical discharge and he jumped back, watching his shield be drained. Roaring, he charged forward and delivered a punch to the abdomen of the creature, which crushed its chest cavity and sent if flying a few meters. The creature didn't not move. So these creatures did not possess weapons to fire, but could use this electrical energy to drain shields, most likely a tactic to try and take down enemies quickly.

Filing that away for further mulling, Thel turned to resume his search. He found a locked door, but delivered a punch and found the door dent. He hit it again, and the dent deepened. Another hit and the other side could be seen. One more punch later, and there was a small gap in the center. Using the gap, Thel grabbed both door edges and forced it open. He did not need to crane his neck down, for the doorway was tall enough. Once on the other side, he let go of the door, which shut tight again, but with an exposed flaw, it would be easily opened again by anyone. Taking note of the dark interior and the rubble now blocking his path, he proceeded to quickly remove it from his path. There were many metal supports and other heavy pieces, but nothing he could not get through. though this would have been easier if Thel had his energy swords with him, but he worked silently to get the debris out of the way. Once the hallway was clear, he proceeded to move down. He once again activated his active camouflage and keep an eye on the signs and indications as to where his weapons could be.

It was then he noticed a sign that said armory and weapons. He silently thank the maker that he was capable of reading human english. Quickly following the indications and being ever-so careful when turning corners or walking in dark places, the Arbiter quickly came upon another door, this one green, and opened to his presence immediately.

The room he came upon was indeed an armory. The first indication was that human weapons were hung up on racks and boxes of ammunition lay scattered. Clearly, someone had been here, but there were many bodies of both personnel and soldiers here, and they appeared to be all dead, as indicated by the burns on their body and armor and blood visible on some. Seems that these people were trying to arm themselves but did not have the time. Stepping over them, he moved to do a thorough check on every single item in inventory. It was then that he spotted a familiar crate. It was a UNSC crate that carried weapons and grenades. He rushed over and notice a Separatist storage unit as well, also probably loaded with weapons, and next to it lay two plasma rifles, two plasma pistols, two energy sword hilts, and some assorted grenade types. Apparently, a lot of the weapons from the _Forward Unto Dawn _were still on the Arbiter's side of the ship, and for that, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Thel moved to clip his swords to his belt. He took a plasma pistol and placed it where he first concealed his original pistol. Then the plasma rifles came next. He would need these the most. They would recharge in ten hours when completely empty and they were reliable. He thought about taking the tye-51 carbine, but thought better. There was limited ammunition and he doubted that there was enough ammunition for him to last this war. He took two plasma grenades and two fragmentations. He was just about to leave when he thought that maybe he should bring a heavy weapon with him. He opened the Separatist crate to find a few plasma turrets and a Fuel Rod Cannon. He thought about taking the Fuel Rod Cannon, but then realized that with the limited ammunition, it would become dead weight sooner or later. The plasma turret the Arbiter left alone. It did recharge like other plasma weaponry, but it was heavy to carry and in a battlefield, he wanted to remain fast and nimble. he then turned to notice a Type-50 Sniper Rifle. These were also battery-powered, but this one more for a sharpshooter and marksman, and while Thel found these weapons to be really useful, he was no sniper. He was a good shot, but the carbine was more of his prefered style.

He then turned to open the human crate and look inside. There was a shotgun, a rocket launcher, and a flame thrower, nothing special. He turned to leave, but then noticed something else. There was a giant weapon laying there as well. He recognized it because of its rather large size, but also for its destructive capabilities.

The inscription on the side said "Weapon/Anti-Vehicle Model 6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle", but the Arbiter remembered its shorter moniker, the "SPARTAN Laser", an apt name as he had seen that this weapon was a true laser, being as fast as light and being extremely powerful, a weapon that truly represented the Spartan's prowess and capabilities in battle. Although it was a difficult weapon to wield, Thel decided that its power would be helpful, but he would have to use it sparingly due to it having few shots, but perhaps he could find a way to recharge it since it was also a battery-powered weapon like many plasma guns. Clipping his main-handed plasma rifle, he grabbed the laser, immediately feeling its weight. It was heavier than most weapons, but he could still lift it easily. He was quick to clamp it onto the magnet on his back. He felt it snap into place.

Now satisfied that he was armed and ready to go, he turned to give this place one last look before exiting, activating his active camouflage.

With his hand of his reacquired plasma rifle, Thel returned the way he came, exiting the roof and begun to key into his comm to see if he could pick up any sort of radio frequencies that these humans used. At first, he did not find anything but static. Determined not to give up, he began to sift through the numerous channels that his armor could pick up on. At best, he could make out the words of a few humans giving orders or reports of damage. It was a miracle that Thel was even picking up anything to listen to in the first place due to his communications equipment was completely different technology from that of the Alliance. As he watched the radio begin to pick up something that he could actually make out, he listened in.

"_Repeat_," a voice said, "_we're located **** a downed ****ship in the harbor. Normandy, ****_?"

The _Normandy_. That was that ship that Admiral Anderson had mentioned in their conversation. If the _Normandy _was nearby, then that was where he needed to be. Hopefully, the human Shepard would be there. The last thing that Thel wanted was to waste time trying to locate the human, but then again, she was different.

The moment that he saw Shepard, he could see the warrior and soldier that she was. Her eyes, a bright emerald-green, revealed much to him. She had seen much, had experienced much, had survived much. The air of confidence, the air of a truly worthy warrior, those he could spot in any individual. Not only that, but when she spoke to that Defense Committee, she had said the same thing that he had said: fight or die. She understood this threat. She understood the necessity to hold nothing back and not resort to conventional methods to defeat an enemy that does not play by the rules, but most importantly, she knew that sacrifices were needed for victory, and she appeared to be the kind of individual that would be willing to lay down her life if it meant she could save her race. For that, Shepard had the Arbiter's respect. He had yet to see her in active combat, but he wondered if he really needed a confirmation of that. A warrior like her seemed to have been strong enough to survive and win if she could see what others failed to see.

Thel turned his head to see that the sea was quickly flooding into the areas that were once level and kept water out. He did not know where Shepard and the admiral had went, but if he had to guess, that was where they might be. A ship picking them up there would make some sense as the area was clear to land ships or at least act as a dropping and loading zone.

Clutching his plasma rifle, he jumped down and fell a few meters before coming to a stop. He then spotted another human-infected creature and fire his plasma rifle, easily cutting it down. Two more came forward, and Thel wasted no time in responding with another volley of shots. Once those two were down, Thel took of in a run, taking shot at one in his path and clubbing another. Another tried to jump him, but he rolled to his right and fired again. The blue plasma bolts hit their mark and the creature hissed, then collapsed. Checking his HUD for the remaining energy in his rifle, he made a note to try and balance between his plasma rifle and energy sword. Unsheathing his main plasma rifle, he took out his main energy sword. The blade hummed to life with a satisfying sound. Noticing another creature in front of him, he closed the distance and cut the creature into two followed by a underhand slash to another. Thel then shifted the blade and impaled one before kicking the dead weight off the blade.

These Reapers were like the Flood in one respect: they charged at their enemies and tried to damage from close range, but Thel was a master of close-quarters combat. He was hacking at many enemies and striking with ease while keeping his movements fluid and controlled. He turned to kick one to the ground before felling the blade against its skull.

No more enemies approached him, and he turned to survey his location. He was right near an area of flooding. Holstering his energy sword and arming his main plasma rifle, he began to slide down an angled surface that was once part of a structure. He kept one hand on the "wall" and aimed his plasma rifle with his other hand. With five meters to go, he let go and jump out three meters and quickly swept the area for hostiles. He could not see any, but his hearing was picking up distinct screeching and roaring sounds.

It was then then that he could hear gunfire. From the sound of things, it sounded like bullet projectiles. Thel would know that sound from anywhere having fought with humans before. He reactivated his cloak and began to take off in a sprint. The gunfire could only mean one thing: a battle between most likely Alliance soldiers and Reapers. Using the sounds as a map, he would stop every so often to listen to the sounds of the gunfire. He was also seeing if he could hear a plasma pistol that would indicate the human's position, the one called Shepard.

He had forgotten that he had left his radio on and he heard static followed by some words.

"_We're ** *** harbor by a downed gunship. Do you copy, Normandy?"_

_ "10-4, Adm*ral. We're ** *ur way."_

Thel switched off the comm and surveyed the entire harbor. He had not been separated from Shepard for a long time. He could still sight the building from which they had emerged from. No doubt she and Anderson were close by.

**00000000000000000000**

Shepard saw those twisted Batarian husks firing at her and she instinctively ducked down. There was too much fire to be even attempting to return fire. She instinctively found herself half-crawling from her cover to try and find a different firing position. The fire still came from overhead, but they didn't seem to know that she was switching positions. If she could get close enough, she might be able to pick one or two off before they fired back, but she couldn't take any fire herself without sustaining a serious injury. Without any armor or shielding of any kind other than her own biotics, she was limited to what she could do.

Once she reached the edge of the makeshift cover, she gave a quick breath before quickly popping over the side and quickly firing a flurry of bolts with her pistol. The bolts downed the husk and she quickly moved back to cover. The second her head left that spot, the flash of orange flew by. The second the fire paused, Shepard's mind quickly knew that they were reloading, so she took the time to stand up and launch a biotic pull, which launched two husks into the air. Shepard then shot the helpless targets down with no remorse. The collapsed to the ground dead once the biotics weared off.

Shepard didn't know how many shots she had fired off, and she had no idea how many shots she had left of this weapon, but she did know one thing: it was extremely effective at its job, being able to take down husks with few shots. She had a feeling that against shielded targets, it would do considerable damage too. Perhaps she should ask if she could keep this weapon once that other alien came back.

She could hear Anderson giving their location to Kaiden, who she assumed was already aboard the _Normandy_. She did admit that she had missed the ship. It had felt like her home. Shepard would admit that although she had few things to call hers, the _Normandy_ was one thing she could say was hers and she would never give it up, not without a fight.

"Signal's cut out," Anderson announced.

Why were things never easy?

"That beacon better do its job," Shepard said.

"Incoming," Anderson shouted, then pointed.

From the sky, objects were falling, and there were hundreds of them. One of them landed close to their location, the explosion lasting for a few seconds before clearing up and revealing more Batarian husks, ready to tear them to pieces. Shepard and Anderson immediately ducked down as husk fire split the air they once occupied. Shepard wasted no time responding in kind with a volley of her own fire. Anderson, too, followed up with shots of his own.

Shepard once again ducked, wishing that she had grenades to use right now. She was growing tired of peeking over the edge of her poorly-made cover and firing, hoping to take one down and praying that she did not get killed by a lucky shot. Plus, she realized soon that she was running low on ammunition on her recently acquired weapon. While firing several times, it had sputtered before resuming shooting bolts. She surmised that the weapons was running low on ammunition, and Shepard had no idea if she could ever hope to use the weapon again, although in the back of her mind, she hoped that this weapon could still be useful in the future.

Shepard clipped the pistol to her side, knowing that they next few shots would undoubtedly be her last. She then unsheathed her newly-acquired Avengers rifle and began to take more shots, popping out of cover every few seconds to fire off enough rounds to take down one. It was then she realized that she was very low on ammunition for the Avenger as well.

_Where's help when you need it_, Shepard thought.

A few more husks decided to take a chance and get closer. Shepard cursed under her breath. She readied her biotic powers, prepared to take them down the good old-fashioned way. Two were close to her position, and she slammed her fist into the ground and delivered a biotic slam, which sent the two husks careening away and into the water of the harbor. She then turned biotically punch another, launching the twisted creature a few meters away.

She turned to face another husk, ready to take it out, but from seemingly out of nowhere, two sharp blue tips sprouted from the husk's chest, The blue blades them moved up and completely split the head of the creature in half as well as the upper torso. The two-bladed weapon then turned to impale another before being roughly shoved off and fell off the debris platform. Shepard took two steps back, watching the blade slowly. Yes, it had killed the husks, but she didn't trust things that just saved her.

Then, a new figure came into focus, The strangely-shaped sword was being wielded by someone. From out of seemingly nowhere, the giant alien that had offered her the weapon appeared out of nowhere. To her credit she didn't jump back, but she was a little more than surprised. What stopped her from jumping back out of surprise was that this wasn't the first time that she had dealt with a cloaked being. Shepard's thoughts turned to the playful and very elusive woman Kasumi Goto. She had a cloak too, and she used it very effectively, and Shepard knew how deadly effective being difficult to see was in battle.

The alien shifted his hand slightly and the blue blade of the sword disappeared. Shepard was a bit intrigued. An energy sword of some kind? Those kinds of weapons were things that people talked about, but she had yet to actually see anything like it. Apart from the blade hilt that Shepard saw, she could also see that he was clearly armed for battle, with several weapons strapped to his thighs and to his belt. She also saw what she guessed to be grenades as well. She then noticed that there was another weapon on his back. Judging by its size, it had to be some sort of heavy weapon.

"Glad that you made it," Shepard said.

"These Reapers, they remind me of an old enemy," he said in a grim manner. "Overwhelming, powerful, and unyielding… but not impossible to defeat."

"Arbiter," Anderson acknowledged, "it's good that you're here. The _Normandy's _on its way. We could use your help holding the landing platform."

Shepard would ask more but suddenly, she could hear the sound of more screeches and both she and the… Arbiter turned to face their adversaries.

_Arbiter_, she thought, _Isn't that a high-ranking individual?_

Shepard held her rifle loosely and she glanced at the Arbiter ready on of the weapons clipped to his side. She was down to a clip left, but even without any weapons, she wasn't defenseless. She had her hand-to-hand training and her biotics.

She wouldn't have to use either as the place that the husks stood was turned into a blazing inferno. Shepard didn't really question it, just a bit thankful that it came when it did. She turned her head to the sky, hearing a familiar sound: The _Normandy SR-2_

"_The cavalry has arrived," _Joker announced over the com,

She smiled, Joker's voice never failed to bring her spirits up.

"About time," Anderson replied over the com.

**00000000000000000000**

Thel watched as the vessel came circling back. It was an unusual vessel. Its shape was nothing that he would associate with human making, having its thrusters not directly on the back, but two wings with the thrusters. The shape of the body was slightly curved at the top, but still kept a linear shape, The nose of the ship was more narrow and pointed, but he could still make out the cockpit window, Although it was an unusual human vessel, Thel did admit that if there was one thing that all human ships had in common, it was the fact that their designations were always on the sides of the ship. Would these humans also call this ship "her"?

_I have never understood humans associating vehicles and ships with a female._

His eyes watched Shepard as she seemed really anxious now. She then took off in a run, making it for the likely landing area of the ship. Thel decided to follow her. He watched as she ran, then jumped over some debris and slid under some in her rush. He followed suit, watching his path carefully for anything that might ambush him… or Shepard.

As the ship came close to an almost flat surface, a ramp began to extend forward, and Alliance soldiers began to began to occupy it. Shepard did not hesitate a moment. She jumped and landed to the platform. Another human male, this one with fair skin for a human and somewhat short black hair helped her up.

"Glad you could make it, Shepard," the human said.

"Thanks," Shepard answered.

They must have been friends as their tones seemed very casual.

Thel did not immediately jump after Shepard. Before he could do anything else, Admiral Anderson joined them, but he too, did not immediately jump onto the landing platform.

"Shepard," he called out.

"Come on," she called back. "We need you here."

The Arbiter took note of the many small ships now occupying the sky, most of them Alliance ships. Anderson and Shepard noticed too. Their gaze watched for a few seconds more, then Anderson resumed his attention to the human woman.

"I'm needed her more," Anderson said next, "there will be soldiers and men down here fighting the Reapers here. They need a leader."

Thel turned to watch Shepard's reaction, and judging by her facial expression, she did not seeme to agree with the admiral's assessment.

"If you're staying, then I am too," she replied, "We're in this together until the end."

"No," Anderson argued. "We're not going to win by ourselves, not by a long shot. We need help from the other races. We need their fleets and all of their soldiers. Get to the Citadel, get the Council to send help."

"The Council isn't really known for their ability to understand the big picture," Shepard retorted.

"Then make them understand," Anderson continued, "That wasn't a request."

"With all due respect," Shepard shook her head, "I don't take order from you anymore."

Thel's eyes watched as Anderson held something silver and on a chain. The Sangheili immediately recognized these as dog tags. Apparently, it was what every soldier in the human military wore. In the event that the soldier died in battle, the tag could be used to identify the soldier, as well as some other basic information about them, including blood type.

"Consider yourself reinstated," Anderson shouted. He then tossed the tags to Shepard, who caught it with her free hand. "Commander."

Anderson then turned to Thel.

"If you want to help us, now would be the time to do so. Help us, and we'll help you find a way back to your home."

Thel did not need to think about it. The Reapers had to be destroyed. They were a blight on this galaxy.

Nodding, he began to run slightly before making a leap to the other side. He landed square on his feet, then turned to face the remaining Admiral.

"I'll be back with every fleet I can get," Shepard said.

"Good luck."

"You too."

Thel felt the ascension of the ship as it began to gain altitude. Anderson watched for a second, then turned to leave. He was aware of the stares he was receiving from the other soldiers in the near proximity, but his mind was not there. The Arbiter's attention was towards the sky, where many ships started landing and picking up survivors. Citizens and maybe even more important figureheads were being evacuated. Thel could see that the Commander was watching intensely at someone in particular. He scanned the area and found the likely source of her undivided attention: a small human child.

The Arbiter was no stranger to children. He had killed many, and seeing one now reminded him of the slaughters that he had done, but this time, he was not feeling guilty. The feeling that he felt now was more of a grim reminder of the reality of war. As he watched the tiny child make for a ship, he sensed that something was about to go wrong. His senses proved right as the ship began to take off, but was destroyed quickly by a crimson-red laser beam. The ship as well as another was destroyed completely. Thel frowned. This indeed did remind him of his slaughters, but this time, he was going to do something about it. He would be saving lives rather than taking them, and he would be riding this galaxy of another thing that should have never existed.

**000000000000000000000**

Shepard had watched the shuttles explode, and felt her stomach drop. Watching Alliance soldiers die was bad enough, and over time, she had gotten use to the sight, but it didn't make their deaths any easier to cope with. To watch a small and innocent child that she could have saved die like that had ignited two things: disparity and anger. This was the absolute definition of cruelty, slaughter of all life without any conscious.

She would return, and the Reapers would be stopped, and that was a promise she was going to make.

She turned to enter the shuttle bay as the ramp came up. Kaiden had already left and had been preparing her gear as well as some weapons and equipment. She walked in, noticing how relatively quiet it was. She knew that the Arbiter was following. She felt awkward not knowing what to call him other than a rank. She was quickly followed by James, who seemed really on edge.

"What's going on? Where the hell is Anderson," James demanded. "What are we doing?"

Shepard didn't want to respond. She had enough to think about, and now wasn't the time.

"Hey," James shouted.

Shepard turned to face him with a barely-contained face of annoyance.

"We're leaving Earth," she answered simply.

"Leaving," the lieutenant said in disbelief.

"What's the plan," she heard Kaiden ask.

"We need to get to the Citadel, get help from the other species, Anderson's order," Shepard stated. It was self-explanatory, but James still wouldn't give in.

"Bullshit, Anderson wouldn't do that," James said angrily.

"Do you think I like this any better, lieutenant," she demanded, her voice dripping with anger, "That is Earth we're talking about. There's nothing I'd like more than to stay, but we can't win without help."

"I'm not abandoning Earth," James said coldly, "get me a shut-"  
>"ENOUGH!"<br>Shepard's shout could be heard by all and maybe EDI or some of the crew had heard her, but right now, Shepard didn't care. She had a mission to do, and she would do it one way or another.

"We're heading to the Citadel. If you don't approve, James, take a shuttle ride from there."

Shepard turned to resume her attention on a console, making it clear that the conversation was over. James simply waved his hand in frustration and turned away.

"_Commander,_" Joker's voice cut in.

"Joker," she said happily. "You good?"

"_Alive and still kicking ass. Got an incoming transmission from Admiral Hackett._"

"Patch him through."

The image was distorted, as was the audio, but it didn't take a genius to figure out the gist.

"_Shepard, ** ********* heavy losses. ***** ** *** ** can't defeat them, not by the books._"

"I'm heading to the Citadel by orders of Anderson," Shepard spoke.

"_Before you **, I **** you ** ** to Mars. We can't lose control of the Solar System. Dr T'Soni has found a *** ** stop the Reapers, ***** *** only way to stop them._"

Shepard saluted. "Right away, sir."

"_*** ** ** contact soon. Hackett out._"

Shepard lowered her arm as the transmission cut out. She then reconnected with Joker.

"Joker, set a course for Mars. We're going through the archives there."

"_Roger that, Commander_," he said.

Shepard then began to prepare a shuttle. As the machine dids its work, she began to gather the pieces to her armor, taking note of every piece.

"What's on Mars anyway," Kaiden asked. "and why now?"

"Don't know, " Shepard admitted, "but anything to help us win the war is appreciated. Grab your gear. We're on the clock now."

**Long chapter, but this is the first taste of action. It was a lot of work, but it feels so satisfying to finish it.**

**As always, leave a REVIEW, telling me what went good and what went bad. The grammar should be slightly better than in the previous chapter, if not all of it. Any ideas will be read and I may consider them.**

**Because Mass Effect 3 is a game that I am still learning about, I will be doing a lot of video-watching and reading about it. If I mess up some technological stuff, character personalities, or anything in general. please do leave that in the REVIEW. I want to stay true to the characters.**

**Final note: if the story pace is rather slow, then I apologize, but I still have to work out the story.**

**Hope you enjoyed. Keep reading, and let your imagination fuel you. Peace!**


	6. Chapter 6: Welcome to Mars

Chapter 6: Welcome to Mars

**Mars, Sol System**

** Mission to Prothean Archives**

** March 7 2186**

Commander Jane Shepard, recently reinstated by Admiral David Anderson, now stood in the shuttle, watching her team with mild interest.

Lieutenant James Vega was a good soldier according to his record. He was an N7 like herself, with a record that more than proved his combat capabilities. He was a good soldier and he viewed her as sort of a personal hero. He still did want to return to Earth, but everyone did, and he had not said anything about it since they had departed from the ravaged human homeworld. One day, they would all return. Vega was a decent pilot for the shuttle, but she made a note to get a better pilot later. He was a qualified pilot, but he was more suited when he was on the battlefield. Shepard would get to know him on a more personal level some time in the near future she hoped. She liked to make friends.

The former Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Aleko, now Major Alenko, was one of the most methodical and dedicated soldiers that she had ever encountered. He had survived hell and worse by her side, had proven that he could fight and was one of the best soldiers she had ever seen. She could trust him to watch her back and to execute his part of the plan and contribute. She still was not really sure how to approach him in regards to their strained relationship, but Shepard knew that soon or later, she would either choose to do something or be forced to do something about it. Despite not really carrying any romantic feelings, she still cared for him deeply.

Her final squad member was someone she wasn't really sure about: the alien that only called himself the Arbiter. Due to his enormous size, he had been forced to sit down hunched over because the shuttle was far too short for him. The whole time, he seemed to be really critical about the rest of the team, eyes watching them. Although Shepard wasn't really what to make of the alien, she was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt. When it came to aliens, she viewed them as equals, not as inferiors as some humans viewed them. What she had seen of him in battle made him out to be lethal, agile, and nimble. The fact that he carried energy blades clearly marked him as a sort of a skilled warrior in close-quarters and hand-to-hand combat, but the Arbiter still used ranged weapons as well, indicating versatility. Shepard also wanted to get to know this alien on a more personal level, although she had a palpable feeling that it would be far more difficult than talking to Vega. For one, they were two different species, but the ornate armor and those eyes had piqued her curiosity. Not only that, but his voice carried authority, power, intelligence, and respect. At the same time, Shepard might think that he could also be comforting if he desired to be, but the way he conducted himself suggested that would be a less-seen ability used.

As much as she wanted to find out more, there was a time for everything, and right now was not the time. She took one last long look at the sitting and hunched-over Arbiter before turning her head towards James piloting the shuttle.

"_The base seems to have gone dark. No communications in or out." _Joker reported.

"No Reaper activity here," Shepard questioned.

"_Negative," _Joker responded.

It puzzled Shepard. Why would they bypass Mars?

It was then that the Arbiter spoke.

"The only reason an enemy bypasses a planet with their enemies is that they deem the planet to be insignificant to them," he said.

Shepard didn't turn to face the Arbiter, but the logic made sense. Maybe the Reapers thought that Mars was not worth the effort due to the low human presence there. The Reapers were, after all, very certain of their supposed inevitable victory.

"_The Arbiter does have a valid point," _EDI's voice cut in, _"The Reapers likely view Mars as a less significant threat than Earth."_

Shepard didn't bother wondering how EDI knew what to call their newest squad member. EDI could hear all things on the _Normandy._

"Anything else, EDI," Shepard inquired.

"_The base appears to be fully functioning. It is quite possible that the inhabitants and personnel were evacuated."_

"We'll know soon," Shepard concluded.

As she turned to watch Kaidan, she could tell that he was clearly on edge. She noticed that he seemed to be watching the Arbiter very closely. It surprised her. Normally, he was far more lenient when it came to aliens, but maybe having an unknown with no notice was the reason. The Arbiter, meanwhile, seemed to be really edgy, like he was really wanting to do battle. It was then he craned his neck and turned his head to meet her.

"Was that voice an artificial intelligence," he asked.

Shepard, at first, thought that maybe she should just pass EDI off as a VI, but she then decided that would not work. Even if she could cover it up, which seemed moot at this point, sooner or later, the truth would come out.

"...yes," the commander said reluctantly.

Seemingly satisfied with her response and not bothering to speak further about it, he turned to his weapon in his hand, looking it over once again. She was once again drawn to his orange-amber eyes. They seemed to be gauging something, but she didn't know what though. It was kind of surprising how human those eyes could be despite their evident differences.

After another several minutes in silence, they landed. James did a few more presses to the console before getting up and placing his helmet on his head.

"Communications are still nill. To make things worse, we've got a story heading our way," he reported.

"How long," Shepard questioned.

"Half hour at best. We better get a move on because we're going to have trouble reaching the _Normandy _once it hits," James responded.

"Understood," Shepard noted.

Shepard quickly drew her sidearm. She still carried the plasma pistol that the Arbiter had told her. He said that it was now hers to use, and she gladly accepted. He had told her it would take ten hours to recharge from an empty battery, and she guess that since the weapon was almost empty, it would take just about the same time.

The shuttle door opened and she stepped out, scanning the area for any hostiles. When none were found, she signalled that the area was clear. Kaidan followed, then James, and finally, the Arbiter, with some difficulty.

As she moved quickly, she could tell that the others were following, and it was clear that the Arbiter was the closest to her. His shadow was enormous like himself, but despite his stature, he moved fast. In fact, he seemed to be really agitated with the speed which they were advancing. She had to trust him to make the right choices in battle, even though they were still mere acquaintances.

"Holy shit," James commented, "That storm's bigger in person."

"Could be worse," Kaidan continued.

"Still could kill us if we're not careful," James warned.

"I'm more concerned about winning the war, Vega," the major sighed.

"Were it so easy," the Arbiter added.

Those words had sounded like more than what was clearly said, but she could neither confirm nor understand what they truly meant, so she didn't. Shepard could only push on.

After a march of a few hundred meters, they suddenly heard a gunshot. She signalled the others to maintain formation and be silent. It was then that she rounded the corner to see a group standing, surrounding kneeling people.

Shepard signalled for the team to get down. Peeking over the corner, she got a look at what was happening. It looked like the personnel from the base were being held hostage by someone. After a closer look, she realized that it was Cerberus troopers. Without warning, one of the troopers raised his weapon and shot one in the head, execution-style.

"Not good," James said.

Shepard gave a signal to him and Kaidan, and turned to give the Arbiter a command, but then noticed that he was gone. She looked around a bit frantically for a second. She then turned back to the other two squad members still accounted for.

"Where did the Arbiter go off to," she asked, worried.

**00000000000000000000**

Thel 'Vadam had watched Commander Shepard's movements as she advances. She is calm, collected, and always watching for any signs of enemy activity. From what he has seen of her interactions with her team, she seems to know them on a more personal level, which is always a bonus. It certainly does help with teamwork and unit cohesion. He had yet to see if she was capable of leading in battle, but he would find out soon.

As they continued on, the sound of a shot came to the Arbiter's ears. Shepard motioned for them to remain alert. He did not really pay attention. Thel knew how to be quiet. As they turned to face further down the path created from vehicles travelling down it, they saw a group of what Thel saw to be humans, but what was strange was that most were in armor while several were in the process. It looked like they were to be executed. Thel had seen Covenant soldiers do this many times. He decided on a split-second attack.

Activating his active camouflage, Thel took off as fast as he could, covering the distance in mere seconds. He pushed his speed once the armored humans which he was certain were not Alliance soldiers, begin to line up the prisoners that were there, preparing to execute them.

Once he was within range, Thel activated his energy sword, the blade negating any possible shielding that the human had, easily cut through the man as it activated to its full length. The other soldier immediately jumped back. Thel then shifted his body to deliver a low slash to another, leaving a death mark on another's lower abdomen. He threw an arm up to instinctively keep the enemy's fire from obscuring his vision. His shields holding steady, he quickly delivers a brutal kick to one, sending them into a nearby vehicle with a really loud banging sound, knocking him unconscious. Thel then turns to another and quickly delivers a left hook punch, stunning the man, then quickly sheathing his blade and drawing his plasma rifle to shoot him a few times, the first several shots draining the shields and the rest tearing through the armor.

His motion sensor detected someone behind him, and he rapidly turned his body and quickly stopped the final one from trying to melee him, With speed, he quickly deactivates his weapons, slaps the rifle from the soldier's hands, then, exerting some of his strength, is quick to lift the human off the ground, holding him in the air. The human tries desperately to release himself from Thel's iron grip, but the Sangheili's strength far overpowers that of the human. With the plasma rifle in his hand he holds the human in place as he brings the rifle to his chest and fires until it burns through the soldier's armor and flesh. Once the arms fall to the sides, completely limp, Thel tosses the body aside.

Turning his head to face the hostages in black armor, they look petrified of him, and he does not blame them, so he is quick to diffuse the situation.

"I am here to help you, human," Thel said.

"W-W-who are you," the Alliance soldier asks.

"An ally," Thel simply says.

It is then that Shepard and her other team members join them. He cannot see their faces, but their posture indicates that they appear shocked in a way.

"That was…" Shepard begins, but she cannot find the words.

"Man," the man called James say, "you took down those Cerberus troops like they were nothing."

Thel nodded and turned to the commander.

"Cerberus?"

"Cerberus is a pro-human terrorist organization," Shepard responds.

Pro-humans were never fun to deal with, and it was even more despicable that these humans clearly had no remorse for killing their own kind.

"What's Cerberus doing here," the one Kaidan demands.

"They're here for something in the Prothean archives," the black Alliance soldier says. "Something in the archives, but their force barely are enough to number our own."

"They had to have had help on our side," the other adds. "The rest of the base is compromised."

Thel notices that Kaidan turns his head a little too sharply, indicating that something does not sit right with him.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, Shepard," he quesions.

"I cut all ties with Cerberus, Kaidan," Shepard replies in dismissal.

"Maybe, but it is suspicious just the same," he says.

"We need to keep moving. You two, try to stay out of trouble. If you see any Cerberus troops, you know what to do."

"Right, thanks for the help, Commander Shepard."

Thel knew that this was a means to quickly divert the tense subject that was about to be brought up. What she had said before sounded like bad news. Thel did not think Shepard to be a human of that nature, but he was not one to judge. He did not know the details.

The flare of his shields against Cerberus fire forced him to evade and weave, activating his active camouflage. Shepard, quickly delivered a sniper round to a Cerberus trooper's head. They were all quick to scatter so that they could not be circled.

Thel had took to the front, firing accurate shots with his plasma rifle, firing a burst of three shots, taking down ones shield and quickly sending his fist into the man's face, the sound of bones cracking against his giant fist an indicator that he can quickly move to the next enemy. Drawing his energy sword in his right hand, Thel delivered a quick impale into the trooper's chest before turning to raise his blade to block some incoming fire. Using his speed, he quickly made a run for another, relieving another of a weapon before knocking him to the ground. Two tried to focus fire. Thel's shields held steady as he quickly ducked into cover. He could hear Shepard and the other two humans firing, taking down three more enemies with ease. A sharp noise caused Thel to notice a grenade at his feet, which prompted him to quickly bolt out of the way before the detonation. He found himself face-to-face with another Cerberus trooper, who instinctively raised a rifle. Thel grabbed the rifle barrel and tilted it away from himself and watched with in an unimpressed expression as the trooper wasted shots, trying to fight with the Sangheili's strength, but with no success. Thel grabbed the rifle and used the butt of the weapon to smack against the Cerberus trooper's head. The trooper fell to the ground, unconscious. He then turned the rifle to fire the weapon in the face of his enemy. Once he could see the blood, he dropped the unfamiliar weapon without a second look.

The sound of approaching footsteps prompted him to raise his plasma rifle, only to see Shepard, Vega, and Alenko approaching. They nodded at him and he simply turned to look around, lowering his aimed rifle. There were only a few vehicles, not nearly enough reinforcements to seize control of a facility this big, and if these Cerberus troopers were as easy to kill as this, then they most definitely had to have received help from a traitor. Thel's mind reeled in disgust at that term. A traitor was considered one of the worst kinds of beings for Sangheili. A traitor had no honor and had no purpose. Noticing the tracks still somewhat fresh on the ground, he traced them to a large open door. It was an entrance as this part seemed to be connected to the facility. Judging by the fact that there was no stairs or any sort of means to elevate apparent, this had to be an elevator.

Without waiting for Shepard or her team, he quickly made his way into the lift, taking care to make sure he was not going to bash his head against the ceiling, but thankfully, the ceiling was more than tall enough. Thel still brandished his weapons. He took no chances, especially with human enemies. They could surprise him in many ways, but they had yet to do that.

**00000000000000000000**

Commander Shepard walked through the door, mulling over what she had seen of the Arbiter's combat. To say that he was a warrior didn't do him enough justice. He had torn through the Cerberus troopers like they were insects. His weapons were deadly and effective, that energy blade seeming to completely ignore the shielding technology and melting through their armor like a butter knife. His ranged weapons, too had been effective, cutting through shielding in mere shots and piercing armor quickly. The Arbiter also was very skilled hand-to-hand combat, being extremely fast despite his massive size, and being strong enough to lift the troopers with one hand. He seemed to have no qualms about using the enemy's weapons or the environment around him to manipulate a battle in his favor. For some reason, his fighting style, they way he performed the moves seemed graceful, elegant, beautiful, and deadly. She found herself fascinated by it, and had she had time, she might continue to admire, but she had a duty to do.

The Arbiter waited for her as she began to work the controls to the elevator, her rifle still in-hand. It didn't take long to seal the door and begin to vent atmosphere into the elevator space. Nobody said anything, and Shepard didn't say anything. It wasn't until she turned away from the controls did Kaiden break the silence.

"Shepard, tell me what's going on," the major asked.

Shepard winced a bit, hurt that his doubts and hatred for Cerberus were now making this difficult all over again. She knew that their relationship was strained enough as it was.

"Kaiden," she began, but she didn't get a chance to continue.

"No, don't try that "Kaiden" business on me. Be serious," he interrupted. "Do you know anything else about why Cerberus is here."

"Why the hell would I know anything about this," Shepard demanded.

"You worked for them, they brought you back from the dead, gave you a ship, resources, everything-"

"Cerberus and I worked towards a mutual goal: to take down the Collectors, nothing more, nothing less," she interjected with anger laced in her voice.

"And I have no idea what they're doing here," she finished.

"Commander Shepard's been heavily monitored since returning to Earth," James cut in, "and neither have talked to each other. No way they could."

That seemed to put Kaiden at ease, but Shepard couldn't help but think that he still wasn't convinced. Why did she care? She was Commander Jane Shepard. The opinion of other matter as much as a grain of sand. The sound of the atmosphere filling the space prompted them all to remove their helmets, but she noticed the Arbiter remained still, watching the whole discussion with a look of concern and understanding. Shepard turned to face Kaiden.

"Take your anger out on Cerberus," she hissed, "I'm done explaining myself to you. If you won't believe me, fine, but that's your loss."

The lift ascended, and everyone seemed uncomfortable being in there. Once the platform became part of the room, everyone seemed quick to exit, eager to get back to the mission. Shepard led them, followed closely by the Arbiter, then Kaiden and James.

"We're done talking about this," Shepard warned, "clear?"

"Clear, I was just-"

A suddenly muffled noise spiked everyone's alertness and everyone took cover behind a Mako parted nearby. Shepard saw the Arbiter disappear into nothingness. She really wished she could see him so that he didn't do anything too rash. She could hear what sounded like muffled voices and banging around. It was followed by a few shots. She guessed that wherever it was coming from it was from the shafts above. She then heard a few more banging sounds, followed be something clattering to the floor. Leaning her body over to see past the edge of the Mako, she spotted a very familiar face, one of her closest friends: Liara T'Soni. The Asari quickly activated her biotics and ensnared two Cerberus assault troopers trying to kill her. They elevated before Liaa drew her sidearm and shot them. Once they landed on the ground, she wasted no time in silencing them with two more shots each to the head. As soon there was silence, Shepard exited cover, folding her rifle and placing it on her back. Kaiden, too, did the same. James still had his weapon, and she could tell he was tense still.

"She's a friendly, lieutenant," she explained.

The Arbiter also decloaked, for which Shepard was grateful. Liara didn't need to be surprised by a massive alien coming out of nowhere. It was then Liara turned to spot them, her eyes brightening at the sight of Shepard, her eyes widening slightly at the Arbiter, but nothing else showed.

"Liara," Shepard said.

"Shepard, thank the Goddess. I was worried," Liara replied.

"I can take care of myself just fine. I just wish I didn't have to abandon Earth," Shepard said bitterly.

"I heard the reports," the Asari confessed

"It was horrible. So much death and destruction," Kaiden added.

"Kaiden, I'm so sorry."

Kaiden nodded, still looking glum and down.

Shepard watched Liara's eyes drawn to the Arbiter. It was clear that her scientist side was now kicking in, but now was not a good time.

"I was sent here by Admiral Hackett," Shepard elaborated, "he told me that you found something in the Prothean archives to help us win against the Reapers."

"Yes," Liara agreed, "I have been going through the archives, but I didn't come here first. My investigation led me here."

"So why here? What's here?"

"A way to defeat the Reapers," Liara said.

For the first time since being released from captivity, Shepard breathed a sigh of relief. An answer to an unanswerable question, and just at the right time.

"What does she speak of," the Arbiter cut in questioningly.

Shepard turned to the Arbiter. There was confusion on his face, and that, in turn, caused her to pause. For a moment, Shepard just stared at him, then realized something. He was either confused about the Protheans or he couldn't understand Liara, and if she had to guess, it was both, though likely more so the latter than the former.

"I speak of a weapon that can help us to defeat the Reapers," Liara responded.

Shepard turned her head from Liara to the Arbiter, and that officially confirmed that the Arbiter did not understand, even if Liara did understand the Arbiter. She paused, realizing that it never occurred to her that he understood and spoke english with no trouble. She threw that thought into a "think about it later" spot and reoriented herself back to the discussion.

"Uh, Liara," Shepard explained. "He can't understand you. He has no Omni-tool to translate."

"Sorry. Then perhaps we can talk later," Liara said, "in any case, what we need is contained within the archives. Assuming Cerberus hasn't locked down the area, then we can still retrieve it."

Though Liara was quick to move onto the mission, it was still crystal-clear to Shepard that Liara was just as fascinated in the Arbiter as herself, though from from a more scientifically and culturally standpoint.

"Why does Cerberus want it too," James asked.

"Cerberus has taken an interest in anything regarding the Reapers as of late," Liara detailed.

Shepard's mind instantly clicked together the pieces together. She cursed herself for not thinking it it earlier.

"Anything that can destroy the Reapers is of interest to Cerberus," she answered without hesitation.

"Any interest they take in the device," the Arbiter chimed in, "is for their own purpose. They cannot be allowed to have it."

"They can take it over my dead body," Shepard responded.

"There's no weapon, only blueprints to a device," Liara cut in,

"Whether there's a blueprint or a weapon," Shepard deadpanned, "I'm not letting Cerberus taking it."

Further banter was stopped when the sound of a metal torch working its way through one of the doors. The Arbiter was the first to equip his weapon, and pointing them at an unseen Cerberus squad. Shepard followed suit, followed by James and and Kaiden. She did not know how much firepower and manpower that Cerberus was packing, but they couldn't be caught here.

"James, I need you to get back to the shuttle," she called out.

It was then that Cerberus troopers entered the room and began taking shots. Everyone took cover, even the Arbiter, who struggled to fully protect himself from oncoming enemy fire. The sound of something shattering and malfunctioning caused Shepard to pause. She prayed to whatever deity that existed, if any, that the elevator controls weren't just destroyed, but she turned her head and saw that luck was not on her side.

"I didn't want to go back anyway," James shouted.

"We must keep pressing forward," the Arbiter growled. "We can worry about transportation later."

Shepard had to agree begrudgingly. There were ten troopers on the balcony, but they were spreading out to try and flank the group. Shepard cursed. She felt fire flare against her shields and she tried to move away from the edges. The Arbiter, too, had to readjust himself to stay as hidden as possible. The slight brushing of their armor and the noise that followed caused them both to look at each other.

For some reason that the commander couldn't explain, she seemed to be able to communicate with the Arbiter silently. Those orange eyes told her what he was going to do. She simply nodded. He nodded too, then moved from cover and charged at blinding speeds.

"Provide cover fire for the Arbiter," Shepard relayed to the others.

"On it," Kaiden said.

**00000000000000000000**

Thel had heard the sounds of Cerberus targets long before the others did, and he had drawn his weapons, pointing them at the only place that they could come in. As they all retreated to avoid damage, he knew that their best chance was for him to act as a distraction, drawing the majority of enemy fire away from the team so they could take down the troopers. He would have relayed that information, but when their eyes met, he didn't need to speak. She just understood and acknowledged. After doing a single nod, he let his training kick in.

His running speed was fast, so much that it was difficult for them to be able to keep up, but Thel felt his shields absorb the projectile's kinetic energy. He unleashed his own torrent of fire, downing two in a blaze of blue plasma. Rolling to cover, he took out a plasma grenade and primed it. Holding it for three seconds, he then exited cover and stuck a trooper while running by him. Before the human could figure out what was happening, he was already dead in a blue explosion. Up ahead, three troopers were put to rest by the combine shots of Shepard, her squad, and that strange alien that resembled a human female so closely. His plasma rifle came down to hit one of the Cerberus troopers, shields, collapsing from the force of the melee attack. The Sangheili then plunged an energy dagger into the human's chest.

A blue caught Thel off guard. The troopers were lifted into the air, rendering them unable to act. They were then shot down, their dead bodies remained afloat before clattering to the balcony ground. The one remaining had his rifle out, but he did not fire. He held it loosely in the Arbiter's direction, obviously not sure what to do. With his other squad member's down, the man began to flee, but the above-average human was no match for the war-hardened Sangheili, who caught him and grabbed him by the neck. He tightened his grip as the now feeble human gripped his throat, attempting to pry the fingers holding him in place, The Arbiter then threw the human aside, his head slamming into the wall rather hard, making him comatose.

His head shifted to meet his allies.

"The way is clear," he announced, his voice filling the now enemy-less room.

They wasted no time in climbing up to his location. Shepard gave him a thumbs-up, a signal that Thel knew as one of approval, and he took this as a sign that if he had not gained the commander's trust, then he had at least proven his worth in battle, but that part was the uncomplicated part. In a war of survival, trust was one ket aspect of true unity, and Thel knew from experience that trust worked wonders.

**Short chapter, but I want to get a feel for my own story. As I have stated before, this story is going to be of my design. That means events that happen will not go according to the game. I will base the story loosely on planet locations critical to the story, of course, but nothing more.**

**Anyway, the Arbiter kicked ass. Shepard kind of stood by. This was for a reason, as explained in the last paragraph. Trust me, once Shepard and Thel work together, they'll be like a synched-up death machine.**

**If you guys have any suggestions as to how events should play out, feel free to PM me about it. I would be more than willing to receive support for story-building.**

**The dialogue, in my opinion, is lacking, and I would like opinions concerning how I should approach it to make it more interesting to read.**

**If you catch any errors in grammar, spelling, etc, then you can scold me for that. I usually only do a quick proofread before submitting. If anyone cares to be a beta reader, PM me, and I'll be in contact ASAP.**

**That all being said, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. These are what allow me to improve and become better. Tell me the good and the bad. Anything that doesn't have to do with story events or character relationships can be stated. Story and character development suggestions can be sent via PM as I mentioned. **

**Also, one more thing. I am aware that in Halo 4, active camouflage is an armor ability in multiplayer. I wanted to give Thel another armor ability somehow that he has not used, but I feel that would be giving him too much of an advantage. What do you guys think? Should I give Thel 'Vadam another armor ability? If so, which one?**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. And remember, the only limits are the ones we set in our minds. Peace!**


	7. Chapter 7: Subtle Tensions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Halo or Mass Effect. This is to be expected, of course.**

Chapter 7: Subtle Tensions

**Mars, Sol System**

** Mission to Prothean Archives**

** March 7 2186**

** 1241 Hours**

Thel 'Vadam raised his plasma rifle, and quickly shot down yet another Cerberus trooper in his way. These Cerberus humans were tenacious, but very foolish. They never really seemed to adapt to new enemies and relied more on the same tactics, making them utterly predictable, thus making the battles against them less and less of a challenge. The Arbiter then began to mix up his combat moves by relieving his dead foes of some of their grenades due to him having only two grenade types with him from the _Forward Unto Dawn_. These grenades had proven to do essentially the same thing as UNSC grenades, and that meant they were quite useful indeed. Thel had always been flexible when it came to weapons or using the enemy's own arsenal or equipment against them. In a way, it was what allowed him a bit more of an advantage in combat.

Thel was quick to shift his body so that the bullet-like projectiles whizzed passed him. He then pulled out a fragmentation grenade he had appropriated from a dead Cerberus trooper, primed, it, waited for three seconds, then tossed, leaving no time for the clustered Cerberus troopers to take cover. The explosion triggered an explosion that sent bits of fragments and shrapnel in all directions. Anyone within proximity was immediately crippled. The Arbiter was quick to fire several rounds into the chest of a downed Cerberus trooper. The man ceased to move when the shot connected. Thel continued to fire his plasma rifle, but he always kept watch over the energy remaining within the battery. He still had about fifty-three percent of his main plasma rifle, and he was being extra conservative. Every shot had to count right now, because although he was more than capable of fighting with other weapons, he was most comfortable with his own weapons.

The sound of a cease-fire told him to lower his weapons and observe the room for any additional enemies to kill. Finding none, his head turned to see Commander Shepard already ahead, doing a clean sweep of the area.

The Arbiter had immediately recognised the human as a extremely skilled marksman, being able to take extremely accurate shots with a sniper rifle from all distances with little to no difficulty. She fought like a calculated and cold predator, deadly, blunt, and did not bother to dawdle. He respected that in a warrior. Thel himself was not one to dance around exaggerated and pretty wording to appease someone. She also noticed that her stance was always alert, ready, and unwavering, much like the Master Chief. She displayed total dedication towards fighting, and what's more, she displayed loyalty and conviction to her species. She was that type of person that would always deliver a promise that she kept. Thel had no doubt that she was more than capable of impressing others, but he still wanted to see more. What he was seeing so far was good, but he needed more physical proof so he could be absolutely certain that his loyalties were not misplaced. His trust would never be easily earned.

His mind quickly returned to the battle as more Cerberus troopers poured in. They would never learn it would seem.

**00000000000000000000**

Commander Jane Shepard fired again at her enemies, taking down yet another head to add to her already enormous kill count. These Cerberus troops were numerous, but they were not particularly skilled or trained in any way. They acted like ordinary soldiers except with misplaced loyalties. In a way, she pitied these humans for having chosen this path, but like it or not, they were her enemies. and if she had the chance, she might let them redeem themselves, but she doubted that they would afford her the same luxury that she would give. She buried her pity for them in the dust. They deserved neither pity nor forgiveness.

She primed a grenade and threw it into a group of three Cerberus troopers, but before they could take cover, Shepard popped from cover to take a quick shot with her sniper rifle. The shot hit the grenade, triggering a premature explosion. The troopers were knocked off their feet and Shepard held her sniper rifle in her right arm, drawing her sidearm and putting a few bullets into their skulls before ducking back into cover just as her shields drained to a quarter strength, causing her suit to flash a quick warning before quickly recharging. She then made a mad dash for the door opposite. Shepard wasn't stupid enough to believe that there weren't more troopers here. If she had to make a wild guess, there probably were troopers on the other side of the door, and that is why when the door open to reveal three Cerberus troopers on the other side with weapons trained at her, she was not surprised. Rather, she carried an unimpressed expression.

Before any of them could react to her presence, the commander's biotics flared to life and she made battle cry and slammed her fist on the ground, delivering a shockwave that completely threw her enemies all around her. They weren't dead, at least not yet, but Shepard was quick to find them all and either shoot them or in the case of the last one, deliver a biotic punch that broke through his armor in addition to throwing him into another wall, most definitely dead at this point. After that, there was no noise.

Shepard turned back to see the Arbiter and Liara enter first, their weapons trained, and though it was not obvious, they were glancing at each other, the Arbiter in a more curious way and Liara in a more inquisitive way. Shepard didn't pay much mind to it, though. She certainly didn't expect the Arbiter to know anything about Asari, although it was strange he knew about humans. She didn't really know anything about his story, not that he seemed like the kind of person to talk much about himself. Liara, on the other hand, she knew the doctor for years and she was the person she trusted the most alongside Kaiden. Liara's interest in alien culture and the Protheans always made her want to search for the answers to the galaxy. She wanted to know the history as far back as she could manage. To find yet another species unknown to the galaxy was surely making her interested and excited. Interestingly, both of them seemed fine in each other's company. Perhaps they could become good friends.

Kaiden and James entered next, their faces hardened with alertness and caution. Once everyone had their share of checking for more hostiles, they lowered their weapons, but still kept an eye and ear for trouble. Shepard began to take in the room she was in. An Alliance soldier was dead, shot in the back of the head. The man probably didn't have a chance to even arm himself before being shot. Another was lying on the ground, a submachine gun on the ground with a clip next to it. This one was probably reloading and got caught at the wrong time. Another was sitting against the wall, blood splattered. A pistol lay at his feet. From the look of the shattered visor, he had been shot clean through the head. It wasn't a pretty site. These kinds of deaths never were.

A flashing terminal caught her attention, Shepard turned to look at it, but Liara beat her to the punch, and Shepard was a bit relieved. Her and computers had not always been the most friendly together. As Liara settled, Shepard leaned against the wall, watching the entire room, not really sure what to do now. She was not happy one bit. There wasn't anything to be happy about. Ever since her reinstatement, she had been fighting enemies left and right, clinging desperately to hope for a solution to the Reapers. She was angry, no she was beyond angry. She was furious, If she had the wrath of a deity, she might wreak havoc upon the Reapers. She would kill them a thousand times and let them rot a thousand more times in hell. It was a fitting end to a race that had taken hundreds of billions of lives over their rather lengthy lifespan.

A slight clanking of metal caused her head to shift to the Arbiter, who stared back at her, his hilt of his energy blade in his hand. She took another look at his armor. The armor was crafted with a very artistic mind, and yet it functioned as a fully functional battle suit as well. Shepard couldn't say that she had ever seen both able to share the same space. She would be the first to admit that battle armor wasn't meant to turn heads or awe anyone. It was suppose to protect its wearer and serve as a second skin, a tactical advantage. The Arbiter could easily attract a lot of attention with the armor alone along with being a rather unusual and unique new race. Now that she got a closer look, she couldn't help but think about how his armor closely resembled that of an arena warrior, the kind of armor one would watch in a extranet video or movie. If she could get ahold of whomever made the Arbiter's armor, Shepard might ask for her own badass armor of beauty and art. She laughed internally at the thought. It was crazy, but so was she.

The sound of Liara's voice prompted Shepard to resume her attention, her hand reaching to move the bangs of her hair out of the way of her vision. The Arbiter, too, turned to watch, but he still couldn't understand what the Asari said.

"I can't view the video feeds," Liara reported. "Someone's been hacking into the mainframe and tampering with the cameras."

"Is there anything else you can access," Shepard asked. "Transmission attempts? Data logs? Scientific data? Anything?"

"I'm getting all kinds of info," Liara assessed, "but I can't really find out who did this."

"There is a traitor somewhere here," the Arbiter assessed, "and that one right there appears to be a key suspect."

That comment got Shepard to stand straight from her leaning position to question the Arbiter. He nodded his head over to a monitor viewing what appeared to be a somewhat recent video feed. There wasn't much to see, the video being heavily distorted and no audio playing, but a human woman could be seen, with two pony tails.

"Who's that," Kaiden asked.

"That's Dr. Eva Core," Liara answered.

"What makes you so certain that she's suspicious," Shepard inquired skeptically to her newest squad member.

"Her movements, her wariness, her behavior," the Arbiter pointed to the screen, "all of them indications of the actions of a traitor."

Shepard could detect a hint of venomous detest and ire. What could the Arbiter possibly have against this person? Maybe she was looking about this the wrong way. She didn't really have time to question any more.

"We got to move now," Shepard said dismissively.

That only got a low growl from the Arbiter, which drew everyone's attention. Shepard eyed him, but he brushed past her without, only sparing a glance of disapproval before exiting the small area and moving to the the red door that stood still locked and disabled. He stood there, seemingly staring through the door as if he could see their target, and Shepard might actually think that he could do such a thing,

"We need to get through this do-" Liara began.

She forgot her words as an extremely loud banging sound could be heard. All hands went to their respective weapons as they swept the room for Cerberus assault troopers, but all they could see was the Arbiter, his hand extended out and touching the door. It took only a second for Shepard to figure out what he was doing. The massive alien pulled his fist back and slammed full-force into the door. its light blinking red and green. A dent could already be seen. Again, the Arbiter punched, his fist beginning to cave the door in. Then, with a final blow, the door opened a wide gap. He didn't even bother to wait for the others, simply using one hand to keep the door propped open enough for him to skip through, his form crunching to avoid hitting his head on the roof of the door frame. As soon as he was out of sight, the door close again, the red lock still somehow operational, but it could easily be opened.

"Never mind," Liara said in a shaky voice.

Shepard was less scared and more concerned. She didn't know what she had done to prompt the Arbiter to act this way. She hadn't said anything to offend him, at least she didn't think so, and she hadn't done anything offensive, at least she thought so. If the alien were anyone she knew, she would scold him and probably demand that he stay with them, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, Shepard merely placed her helmet back on her head and motioned for the others to follow her.

**00000000000000000000**

Perhaps doing this was not the wisest course of action. She had not said or done anything offend him, and even if she did, Thel would brush it off and not think too much of it. His patience and willingness to heed others was what made him able to trust better than most Sangheili. However, when Shepard had dismissed his claim about that suspicious human woman in that video, he felt angered. He did not like being pushed away, and most certainly did not like it when people denied truths that were obviously apparent. If she would not see the truth, then he would make her see it.

While he was in an unpleasant mood, he still was alert, keeping his eyes open. As soon as he had open the first door, he activated his active camouflage and ran to the other side of the room. His sword ready to activate on a whim. The next set of doors were green, immediately opening to his presence. To his annoyance, yet another set of doors stood, this one unlocked. It dawned on him that he was likely walking in an airlock and that perhaps it would be a good time for him to secure the pressure in his armor. With a pause, the Arbiter called upon his suit computers to begin diagnostics of his suit, Once his armor was reported to be completely sealed, he proceeded quickly.

The rushing atmosphere outside was followed by blinding sand. This would be somewhat difficult to navigate in, but Thel had been in strong storms that brought loose debris with it. Tucking his head at an angle enough to provide maximum cover from being blinded while still being able to see in front of him, he advanced, his plasma rifle at the ready in his right hand, his energy sword in his left deactivated.

The sound of gunshots and fire alerted him immediately, and his plasma rifle began to take not of a nearby moving object, and from that object came the sound and the sight of a battle taking place. He couldn't make certain who it was fighting, but the only thing he could surmise was that some Alliance soldiers still were alive and trying to resist against Cerberus. Perhaps not all the military and civilian personnel had been extinguished. The gunfire soon became distant and soon out of hearing range at his current location.

Like nothing had caused him pause, Thel pushed forward. his footsteps making somewhat loud noises, but the storm would dampen any sound he made from movement as long as he did not attempt to be purposefully loud. He could not really afford to die now, nor did he care to die, not here, not now.

Carefully, he made his way across several pipes. The Arbiter was careful to make sure that his weight would not cause his makeshift platform to collapse, and once he reached the other side, he was sure to check to make sure that Shepard and her squad would be able to cross as well.

Shepard. That women was...something that he could not classify. Her little demonstration of her combat capabilities left him mutely impressed. He had seen many thing in battle, having fought humans for most of his military career. They were not a warrior's race by nature, but yet they could easily be moulded into warriors in a relatively small span of time. Shepard, he could tell, had been a warrior far longer than many others. Her stance while in close quarters was much like that of other humans, but while she was not quite as strong physically, she made up for it in terms of speed. He did notice that for a human who appeared average on the outside, she moved faster, seemed to process her surroundings faster, and now that he thought of it, she was stronger than her stature would suggest, although he did not think that she was quite at the level of a Spartan. For one, the Spartans were super-human, and Shepard didn't appear to be that augmented. Thel, however, had reason to believe that something about her seemed too good to be a standard human.

Thel had no doubt that she was a human of many secrets and hidden truths. He was one himself, and while he did not feel shame speaking of his past actions or deeds, he still did not care to speak much of it, mostly because it mattered little or not at all at this point and time. If anyone asked him if he could undo any of it, he would say yes in the way that he wished that he had realized the blind loyalty of the Sangheili and that the loss of so much life was a blow to all species involved in the war. On the other hand, he would say no because it forced the Sangheili to rethink their purpose, what it is that they fought for, and why. The Sangheili traditions were now challenged as all they had ever known was a lie.

Thel crossed the last platform, noticing his own reflection on a shiny surface. The Arbiter was a title, not his true identity, but yet, he himself was beginning to wonder if all these sudden changes over the course of a few months had done so much damage to himself physically and mentally. He wondered for a brief moment why he still clung to the ways of the Covenant Empire. This armor was a representation of what he once was, and he still wore it as a symbol of respect and authority. If he was on Sanghelios again, he would likely be rid of this armor and don another. As long as he wore this armor, he would forever be reminded of the mistakes and atrocities he had made, and in the end, perhaps that was a fate that he was content to deal with. It would always be a means to make sure that he and his brethren would never be lured into the path they once took.

With his home planet Sanghelios and the Human Shepard still on his mind, he continued on, struggling to get any sense. Once he noticed a drop to the lower floor, his eyes inspected the vicinity for hostiles. It was then that he eyed what appeared to be another airlock, this one agape, which was inexplicable at first, meaning that someone else had passed through.

He dropped down from the level, his feet hitting the metal with loud bang, he was quick to get to the airlock. He waited for a moment, then the sensors moved to his presence, he began to feel strained. The hallway provided little maneuvering room for him should anyone ambush him here, but he could easily overpower any human that dare to physically test him. His eyes began adjusting to the dark and he could see now. His armor was also detecting no atmosphere in the room, no doubt released into the outside from the open door, there was no justification for the lights to have gone dark.

_Perhaps this was an act of sabotage, _Thel weighed in his mind. _and that human women is the only perpetrator. _

His vision turned over the empty room. All but a few bodies were here. From the tables, it looked to be a cafeteria or a place of sustenance serving and consumption, but no food was around here. Taking a moment to scrutinize the bodies, he craned his mandibles into a frown, then decided to search for another way in or out. There was nothing else here.

The sound of a raising door did not cause his body to go on alert because he was cloaked and completely undetectable in the dark. If it was friendlies, then he would be fine. If it was Cerberus, then he would be still find, and them dead. Seeing that a few windows had raised up to find a glass window, he found Cerberus troopers talking. They seemed in a hurry.

"The squads aren't reporting," one said.

"An Alliance force is still present," another commented.

"They can't be allowed to get to the core," the third retorted. "Do whatever it takes to stop them. Throw your own bodies against them if you have to."

Deciding that a rude interruption was in order, Thel smashed the window real casual-like, and all Cerberus trooper raised their weapons and fired blindly into the dark. They stopped firing once they realized they were wasting shots, but they still remained posted. Thel took the moment to slip into the room, still not seen. Quick to maneuver behind one. Thel grabbed the human and snapped his neck, employing only a bit of strength. He then lifted one off the ground by the neck. Another aimed his gun. only to hesitate slightly as he watched his squad mate being lifted by an unseen enemy. The Arbiter let out a roar, then activated his energy dagger on his wrist and impaled the man through the abdomen. Tossing the body into the still-alive trooper, he moved in for the kill. The trooper scrambled to get his assault rifle, but the Arbiter kicked it aside. Giving the human a look of fear, he brought a foot down hard onto the man's chest. A sickening crunch of bones being destroyed left little to imagination. His head turned to watch a final Cerberus trooper get out from cover, but before he could raise his weapon to fire back, a round came from where he had entered, making a clean hole through. It was no surprise to find out who did it.

"Why did you run off like that," Shepard demanded. "We're a squad."

"You have no jurisdiction over my actions, Shepard," the Arbiter warned. "and I would suggest that you remember that."

"What makes you special, Arbiter," Shepard threw back, "we're all in the same shit."

"Now deciding to bite instead of bark," Thel growled back. "You humans finally decided to grow a spine too late when your world burns."

"Which is why we need everyone to unite, not fight," Shepard declared. "and that little stunt didn't help matter."

"This coming from a human who knows nothing about galactic genocide," the Sangheili deadpanned.

"What, and you do," she said, drawing closer.

"I know more than you would ever know."

"Then all the better. We could use your help!"

"You take my word so easily? You truly are gullible and idealistic."

"What the hell did I do to you!?"

Their argument had somehow closed the physical distance between them, with only a foot of distance between their helmets, their eyes glaring at each other. She was a small human. She stood almost two human feet below his height, and she dared to have the courage to stand up to him.

He suddenly found himself and Shepard distanced by a blue body. The human-like alien got in between them, obviously trying to scold him and Shepard, and while Shepard seemed to heed her words, they meant nothing to the Arbiter because he could understand her tongue period, and even if he could understand, he doubted that he would listen. She appeared young for her species. Another daring soul. Thel was angry at neither Liara nor Shepard. That little display of anger was a means to see how the human commander would react. It was a split-second decision, and he could have easily apologized for his rash action, but he was not feeling apologetic in the least. Shepard had given him a response that remained adequately disciplined. The Arbiter could see that Shepard seemed to be not scornful, another good sign. Anger amongst squad members spelled doom.

**00000000000000000000**

Liara and Shepard turned to a few blinking monitors that still had power. Liara began to tap a few commands, Shepard watched from the sidelines. Kaiden had joined them. James, meanwhile, felt content to point his rifle, itching to pull the trigger against the next Cerberus soul that dared to enter the room. The Arbiter, meanwhile stood nearby, remaining stoic and critical. Shepard forced herself to breathe normally so as not to give any indication that she was as bothered as her mind was.

The Arbiter was acting strange, being all argumentative and prodding her. She attributed it to alien differences. It seemed that he took a lot of time assessing those he worked with, like he could not trust them or like deciding if they were worth anything. Shepard, in any normal case, would ignore the attempt to rile her up, but now, she couldn't explain it but her pride suddenly stood up defend herself. Maybe it was the stress of everything that had gone down was trying to find ways to vent. She was human after all.

The sound of air filling the voids where it wasn't before told her that could take her helmet off. She did so, taking in the air. Kaiden did the same as she did, giving her a look of concern, then glancing to the Arbiter, who had turned his head to look off into space. She shook her head. It wasn't as bad as it looked. She would find a way to work it out. Yes, she was mad, but she couldn't find it in herself to stay that way. That didn't mean the Arbiter got off scot-free. She would talk with him later.

"System's are up," Liara conveyed. "trams are ready and labs are as well. We can get to the archives now."

Shepard's eyes turned another screen with a frozen video on in. Curious, she fiddled with the pad and commanded it to play.

"_We've experienced a temporary lockdown, don't know what's going on, and communications are being jammed Don't know who or what is doing it."_

Just then, the same doctor that Liara mentioned entered the vid.

"_Doctor, I'll get you your report in a min-"_

The sight of a drawn pistol came too late to the officer as he was shot. The camera became blurred and the doctor could be seen doing something. She then keyed into the ventilation systems and began to deprive the Alliance personnel of oxygen, allowing them to slowly die out.

"I did warn you, commander," Thel cut in.

She didn't say anything. She had no response, but Liara did.

"This is all my fault," Liara mourned, "I should've seen this. I knew there was something off about her."

"Liara," Shepard began, "We have bigger problems than Cerberus. The Reapers need to be dealt with."

"But what if there is no way? What if we're searching for something that doesn't exist? What if we can't save everyone?"

Shepard gritted her teeth. She knew this mood that Liara was in now. The Asari always blamed herself for something that she could have potentially stopped. It was the nature of her friend to do so. She was selfless by nature, and saving lives as well as Prothean archives and cultural study were all equally as important to each other. Shepard ever wondered if Liara would ever find someone that could help her realize that she should also worry about herself as well. Shepard thought that Liara deserved someone to lean on for a change. For now, she would have to act as that person.

"We're all so focused, Liara, but we can't be beating ourselves over things we couldn't control. What's done is done. What we can do is move on."

Shepard watched Liara, hunched over the controls. Then she turned to look into her eyes. Blue met green as they looked at each other.

"Yes. you are right. I am sorry. I just wish I could do more. Sometimes, it's too much, and it's nothing compared to what you have to deal with."

"I deal with it knowing that failing now is failing the galaxy. Letting everything we have done in the entirety of all of our races be for nothing."

With her confidence renewed, Shepard watched Liara tap some controls and unlock the next door. That thought forced her eyes to turn to the Arbiter, who still stood in the same place as before, watching both her and Liara. When she turned to look at him, he moved, seemingly wanting to avoid her gaze. His behavior was so odd and Shepard wanted to know why. This enigma of an alien seemed to be so easy to read when she looked into those orange eyes. Now all she could see was his armored back, his neck craned down, thinking about something, or maybe reminiscing, or something else.

_I get the weirdest company and most interesting company, _Shepard contemplated.

**Tough chapter to write, I won't lie, and that's why I need REVIEWS. Reviews are love, and if you do love this story, than I need your opinions. Tell me the good and the bad, as always, and once again, I probably screwed up when checking for grammar. You guys can call me on that one.**

**I have formed the basis for the story as well as some future stuff, but that won't be for a long time, and this story will take a long time, even with weekly updates.**

**In the meantime, keep reading. Thanks for everything, and remember, ****Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.**


	8. Chapter 8: Race to the Crucible

Chapter 8: The Race to the Crucible

**Mars, Sol System**

** Mission to Prothean Archives**

** March 7 2186**

** 1303 Hours**

**Commander Shepard P.O.V**

They had just recently cleared out more of the Cerberus troopers, but rather than continuing down yet another hall of enemies, they were now dealing with something a little more complicated: an automated gun emplacement. The tram station was getting closer, but not close enough, and they needed to get to the Prothean archives fast. Commander Jane Shepard ducked to narrowly evade a hail of automatic fire. That turret could easily burn through her shields if she wasn't cautious about this. They needed to either bypass it or take it out, and no one in the room had the kind of firepower to take out the gun. They had no heavy weapons of any kind. So she then began going over the possible ways to get by it, and then she noticed the Arbiter looking like he had already formed a plan.

"What are you doing," she called out to him.

He said nothing, he moved little, and his eyes were dead set on the turret. Then, he was gone in a flash. It happened so fast that Shepard had to take a few seconds to find where he was. It still was amazing to watch the Arbiter move that fast. At his size she would think he was not that fast. He was like a blur as he crossed to the other end of the hallway in record time. The turret shift and tried to hit him, but he was far too quick for it to track his movements. Shepard motioned for the others to move ahead, and they did so, and they did so without having to dodge a hail of fire. As they made their way to the exit, a sound echoed through the room. It sounded like an electronic explosion, like some sort of tech had gone kaput. Shepard took cover and took a quick look at where the turret was situated, only to find that it no longer was there, at least not completely.

Parts were mangled and at least a barrel was missing. Electricity danced around the main parts, but it was clear that even if it was repaired on the outside, it was definitely fried on the inside as well. There was nothing left to salvage.

And there stood the Arbiter, waiting expectantly for them. There was no smug expression or anything else to suggest a sort of superiority. He simply watched them.

"Thanks," Shepard said.

"We need to make haste," he said, turning to the door with Cerberus troopers on the other side. He had moved to the door, standing right in front of it, but then he activated his cloak. Shepard knew what he was about to do, so she relaxed, but only slightly.

Shepard said nothing, but James seemed a bit vocal about the Arbiter.

"Guy's really uptight," James commented.

"It's not like we've got anything more important to focus on," Kaidan added. "Besides, we just met. I don't expect him to share all his secrets with us."

"You think he's the kind of guy to have big secrets," Shepard asked.

"I can't assume too much." Kaidan elaborates, "I know nothing about him, but something tells me that he's got a lot to tell."

Shepard nodded. The Arbiter indeed did seem like someone who knew secrets, the kind that could be actually changing. It really wasn't her business to know those secrets, nor was it her business to wonder about them, but she had always made an effort to get to know her crew, to know them as individuals, not as per squad. This, in turn, made her close friends with virtually all of the crew. People were more willing to share things about themselves with her as a result, and she never betrayed the trust of a friend. To do so would do more than lose a friend. She could never trust herself to make friends ever again.

She raised her sniper rifle at the door, despite the Arbiter partially blocking her line of fire. As soon as the door opened, she took the head off one. The Arbiter drew his sword and stabbed another through the chest. The other took a shot at the giant alien. From Shepard's point of view, she could see his shields flare before swung his arm to knock the weapon from the trooper's grasp. then making a clean slash across the face, the trooper making a slight screaming sound before being silenced by the lethal wound.

Shepard casually snuck by the Arbiter, her moves quiet and focused. The tram station was here. The controls to summoning the tram were here. Judging by the state of the room and the terminal statuses, they planned to come in this way, but not exit this way. And with the some Alliance members still fighting here, them included, there was no doubt that they would be willing to risk any potential enemies reaching the core. Shepard furrowed her brow as she looked over the terminals and video logs frozen. Liara then came into the picture and began tapping away at the controls.

While Shepard waited for Liara to give her a status, she could sense that Kaidan was practically behind her. She turned to face him, and she could tell that he wanted to talk to her about something, and Shepard didn't need three guesses to know what it was that he wanted to talk about, and she didn't know why now of all times he wanted to talk to her. Doing the only thing she knew how, she gave him her best neutral expression and shook her head. His face faltered for a moment or two before reluctantly confirming her command. Shepard wasn't in the mood to be explaining anything to Kaiden. She thought that had been clear, but Kaidan was tenacious if nothing else.

She turned to notice James holding his rifle loosely in front of him. It was clear that what was going on here was not sitting well with him.

Giving a barely audible sigh, Shepard turned to watch Liara working.

"We're locked out of the Archives," Liara said. "I can't access what they're doing. We'll never get a tram this way."

Shepard's fist tightened and she her teeth bared. This was taking too long, and the longer they took, the more chance that the Reapers had to destroy the galaxy.

"Maybe we can act like Cerberus troopers, use their coms to call for a tram," Kaidan suggested. "It's our best bet now."

"I agree," Shepard said hastily. "see if you can't find a transmitter on one of the troopers."

Kaidan began to walk off in search of a transmitter. Shepard watched him as he entered the next room, the door closing behind him with a soft whirl.

"James," she turned to the lieutenant, "Wait outside, and watch for reinforcements."

"Got it, Commander," he said, taking off to secure the tram station.

That just left her, the Arbiter, and Liara. Shepard had to guess that the Arbiter wouldn't take kindly to being ordered around. He was far more suitable as a leader. the kind that can inspire loyalty and trust and respect like herself, but something told her that the way he led and the way she led were entirely different. Shepard always made friends with her team so as to keep them together as more than friends. The Arbiter looked like someone who inspires followers to fight for a purpose and to fight for something greater than oneself. His speech was elegant, purposeful, and authoritative, but at the same time, she could sense a bit of understanding and reassurance. Everything that he had said had some sort of function, even if she couldn't always determine what it was.

The flickering of a screen drew everyone's attention. Although there was clearly no audio, the visuals were enough to figure out what was what. Dr. Eva Core was speaking to a Cerberus trooper. For some reason, that name struck her as odd as well. Something about that doctor was off besides what was already plain to see. If they ever saw her, she would have words with the good doctor.

"_Shepard," _Kaidan called over the comm. "_I think you might want to see this."_

"I'm on my way," Shepard keyed, then turned to the Arbiter and Liara, "I'll be back. If you need anything, you know what to do."

Shepard's mind still shouted hesitance at leaving the Arbiter unattended. She couldn't say that she trusted him, but at the same time, he had given no reason for concern. He was very calculated, calm, and controlled, things that were ideal in battle, but at the same time, those same qualities screamed something suspicious, like he wanted to keep something secret from them all. He probably did have secrets, and Shepard knew better than to go poking around where she wasn't wanted, but after so much time making friends with the people she fought with, she knew the secrets and faults of everyone under her leadership, and perhaps that was why she wanted to know what it was the Arbiter had to tell. For now, it was too early, but maybe she would renew her efforts to discover his story.

As she turned to go after Kaidan, she gave a final look of concern at the Arbiter, and he looked back, shifting his mandibles into a sort of growl, making it clear he didn't care to be treated like a child.

**00000000000000000000**

**Arbiter P.O.V**

Thel 'Vadam gave Shepard a face to respond to her look of weariness. She didn't trust him fully yet. That was to be expected, but if she thought he couldn't even remain grounded for even the briefest of times, then he didn't know what to tell her. All he could do was give her an intense face to indicate his stance. She held his look for a second, then turned to leave. He had heard the communication. The human, Major Kaidan, had wanted to discuss something with her.

It was strange, those two humans. It was clear to him that they held some sort of bond. Perhaps they were mates, but he could not be sure. It was clear they cared deeply for one another, but where he could see deep caring, he could also see a deep divide. Clearly, something had happened in the past to separate them now. If he had to guess, perhaps a certain event of some sort had occurred between them to question their commitment and trust in one another. Thel understood that. If anything, he was an absolute expert in doubt to a person or a cause. The Sangheili did not know if a pair's bond worked similarly to that of a commitment to a cause, but he saw enough. Their conversation in the elevator, Shepard's angered tone, Kaidan's uncertainties, it was all an open book to him. It was not his calling to know about love or mates. Thel only knew what he witnessed.

Standing at his full height, he watched with mild interest at the strange blue human-like alien. What was the species called? He wished he knew, for he did not know what to call her. Well, he did know her name. It was Liara, as Shepard had said in an earlier conversation. From what he had seen, both she and Shepard were very close friends. They shared a lot of things in common. Both spoke with a calming sort of tone. Both were focused and determined individuals, and both seemed to understand the necessity of certain unsavory actions. If it were not for the difference of species, Thel might mistake them for the same person. One of the primary things that set them apart was obvious: their physical appearance not just as two individual races, but also what they wore, what kind of stance they took in battle, the things that any warrior could determine. The Sangheili, while seeing that the alien was no stranger to battle, it was not necessarily her most defining point. Shepard was clearly the more adept in combat.

Shepard and Liara both had that strange power that could lift up the human Cerberus troopers with no difficulty. Thel could say he had never seen powers like their own. He had once read that in the time of the Forerunners, such powers existed, but neither the Covenant nor the humans could do such things, and that was just about the only thing concerning him at this point. How would he learn to fight these power? So far, none of these Cerberus troopers possessed those power, but the commander did? Was it only a select few that had these powers? Could they be obtained by natural or artificial means? The Arbiter questioned these things because it affected him. He needed to know how to combat them, and he needed to know about what kind of species could be expected to wield these powers.

Now that he thought of it, he needed to know a lot about this galaxy. So many new things, a situation that he delved into without much thought, a galaxy he had dared to explore without any information as to how to operate as a single Sangheili. Normally, Thel would take this as a challenge. Sangheili were strong, intelligent, and resilient people, travelling the galaxy in their earlier days, ready to become a part of the galaxy, willing to make peace with other species, and ready to fight whenever it was demanded. Thel could recall his younger years, always wanting to become part of the fight, not just because of honor and duty but also he personally desired it. Being a warrior was not merely what he did. It was who he was, and Thel could never truly be anything else. No other Sangheili would have it any other way.

But that was another time, a rash and headstrong soldier, but now he had responsibility and promises to keep, and it was ill-advised of himself to rush headlong into this war with the Reapers without so any sort of plan. In retrospect, at the time, the humans were more concerned about being passive, and that sort of behavior was extremely nauseating. Thel was simply trying to induce some well-needed courage. Forerunners knew that they needed it.

_Perhaps after this mission is over, I might begin to educate myself about this galaxy, _the Arbiter mused to himself, "_I may even find something to assist my journey back_

The sound of the door opening again revealed Shepard and Kaidan. In one hand, she held a small device. In the other, she held something else he could not see. Her face swarmed with many emotions, as did her subordinate. There had obviously been a rather tense or uneasy conversation or disagreement.

Shepard turned to him.

"I have something for you, Arbiter," she said.

Curious, Thel waited expectantly for her. She quickly stowed away the small device in her left hand and held out her right hand. Whatever it was, he did not see what she was doing, and she could tell his confusion quickly.

"This is going to help you understand alien languages," she said, "It's an omni-tool. Do you know what that is?"

"No," Thel said simply.

"It's an all-purpose tool meant for healer, hacking, language translation, everything a soldier would need in the field," she explained.

"A tool then," the Arbiter concluded.

"Yes," she answered. "now hold out your arm."

Thel moved his mandibles into a growl, but held out his arm, not sure what to think. Shepard reached out and begin to shift her hands around an invisible object. Thel could briefly feel a very infinitesimal weight on his arm. He barely noticed it because then Shepard secured the Omni-tool onto his left arm. For a moment, she checked his arm, the stepped back, giving him a satisfactory look.

Thel raised his arm and found a yellow-orange glow on his arm. Curious, he pressed a few buttons, and the device responded to his command. He could see some data displayed, as well as some other minor statuses. He could also see the tool working to connect to other technological devices. Using this tool was like using a Forerunner machine. He somehow knew what button to press, and Shepard, at first, was going to tell him what to do, but when she saw him working the tool, she just waited. Thel then pressed a button and from the weapon came an extended blade. Thel look at it curiously, instantly knowing what it was. He took a few experimental slashes with the weapon before folding it away, then deactivating the Omni-tool.

"My thanks to you," he spoke.

"It's my pleasure to help," she said genuinely, and the Sangheili knew she meant it.

The first sign that something was different was when he could suddenly understand the alien.

"The archives are locked down, but Cerberus doesn't plan to stay long," the blue alien reported.

"Then we'd better get moving," Shepard said, brushing past Kaidan, keying into the small device.

"This is Gamma team. All hostiles terminated, requesting immediate extraction."

_"Acknowledged. We're on our way with two teams to secure the station."_

"Might want to get in position to flank em," James commented.

"Already on it," the commander said, "They'll figure something is out of whack soon."

Everyone took cover behind crates covering their sides. Thel, meanwhile activated his cloak and moved to wait nearby where the tram car would stop.

He could hear the sound of something approaching. Despite being cloaked, he kept his movements minimal and blended with some of the darker colors of the environment to maximise his active camouflage. His hands held no weapons, but his hands were apt enough. He could also see what the Omni-blade could do at close range. He also did have an energy dagger on his right arm. Now he could dual-wield without having to carry his energy swords.

The massive door to the tram opened and Cerberus troopers poured out. They immediately open-fired on Shepard and her team, but were predictably oblivious to the cloaked Sangheili. As they began to spread out, Thel took to the nearest one, grabbing his head and casually twisting, killing the human instantly. The others were too focused on their obvious enemy to even pay attention to anything else surrounding them. A energy dagger found itself impaled into a helmet. Thel turned to see a Cerberus trooper take a sniper rifle round and fall to his knees, critically injured. Activating his Omni-blade, he aimed the blade for the abdomen. The blade tore through the armor and cut into the human's body. The impact of projectiles against his shields felt familiar as a few troopers began to take notice of a strange unseen enemy killing them. His active camouflage dissipated and the Arbiter took off in a full run, making him difficult to fire at. Two troopers held metal shields. Thel knew them as "riot shields" as UNSC marines designated them. They were meant to protect against fire, and could be used somewhat in physical combat, but due to their large nature, they were difficult to use quickly to defend. He gave a experimental punch into one, causing his opponent to stagger, exposing his head enough for Shepard to shoot with her sniper rifle. To his right, three fell at the combined firepower of the other three squad members. Two remained, one whose armor was slightly more bulkier than the others and seemed to be a leader. Thel drew his plasma rifle and fired, causing shields to respond, these ones actually more resilient than the others before, but Thel persisted, the blue bolts tearing the shields down till only armor remained. The Sangheili help the trigger as the bots melted through the armor and through flesh and bones.

The sound of a sniper rifle informed him that the other target was hit, but still trying to resist. Raising a rifle, the trooper began to fire, but Thel grabbed the barrel of the gun, took the gun, then used the butt of the rifle to slam the trooper to the ground before firing his plasma rifle.

Liara was still not really sure what to think about Shepard's new charge.

**00000000000000000000**

**Liara P.O.V.**

As a two-hundred year-old plus Asari, Liara T'Soni had seen a lot in her lifespan. Even though she was still young by Asari standards, she could safely say that she had seen her fair share of the galaxy. Her interest in archaeology and the past had allowed her to understand alien culture and alien behaviors in ways people could not understand, and that gave her the advantage of knowing how to interact with other alien species more than most. It was her passion to learn about the past partly because everything that was known was was attributed to the aliens called Protheans.

They were the reason that they were here now. They may not have created the mass relays, but they had harnessed its abilities to the best of their abilities and their technology was by far the most advanced to date due to their extremely lengthy war with the Reapers, yet with all the things she had uncovered she had not come even close to understanding them completely, and she never would, not unless she could actually have the experience of a real live Prothean.

Now, as she watched this new alien, she had grown instantly fascinated. The first thing she noticed was the armor he wore. Liara was no artist by any means, but this armor was crafted in a most dignified way. It's design not only suggested authority and respect, but also the mark of a very skilled warrior, but despite being somewhat archaic in a sort of beautiful way, it acted as a fully-operational combat armor. She had seen personal shielding at work during his demonstrations of his combat prowess. The motion he exhibited was fluid, constant, and without restraint, also showing experience over much time. The sounds of his roars showed dominance and fearlessness, and he did not show hesitance towards once. Even as the final one was down, he made sure to put the human down for good. If Liara didn't know better, she might think that he had a personal vendetta against humans, or maybe a specific human.

She was making assumptions based on things she didn't know. She didn't even know his name, nor his species, nor anything about him at all. If she was being completely honest with herself, she wanted to know more. Seeing only one of him had led her to believe that perhaps he was yet a new species to be introduced to the galaxy, but seeing everything she had so far, she couldn't assume too much. Shepard and he had words, and the commander had called him an Arbiter, which meant he was a leader among his species. It made sense, given his armor, how he conducted himself, and his armor and skill in combat, but just how important was he to his people? All these questions were in mind, and had they had more time, she would ask about it, but she had a feeling that something about him was unusual, like he kept deep things hidden where no one wanted them to be found. Ever.

She put that thought into mind as well. If she was to get to know this one better, she would have to tread carefully. From the limited reactions, he seemed as the humans said, "human enough" to have at least a simple conversation.

As they all entered the tram, everyone was quick to secure their helmets, or in Liara's case, her breathing mask. The tram worked at the touch of Shepard's hands. They moved slowly at first, then more rapidly. Kaiden and James had their weapons aimed at the other side of the tracks. they spotted nothing from the other side, but they couldn't have possibly been alone here. Another team was likely to come around soon.

"Get down," the Arbiter said, getting in front of everyone.

A hail of gunfire could be seen and the alien's shielding flaring. Just when Liara thought that his shielding was about to collapse under that much fire, she saw a giant colored shield flare up in front of him. She watched as all attempts to break through this shield met with failure. Bullets and projectiles of all kinds did no damage to it, at least not that Liara could see. After about ten seconds, the Arbiter deactivated the shield and ducked down as much as he could.

As both trams reached each other, they came to a screeching halt. Kaiden threw a biotic barrier around himself to stop two troopers from damaging his armor. James took pot shots, making every shot count. Shepard had drawn her submachine gun and fired controlled bursts of incendiary rounds. The Arbiter, remained in cover for a second and then pulled out a grenade, priming it, but didn't throw it immediately. For a moment, Liara tensed, but after a four-second wait, he threw it. The Asari knew what he was doing, but she always threw her grenades with plenty of time left. Nevertheless, the grenade took down the Cerberus trooper's shields, which allowed her to take shots at their heads. They went down quickly.

As Shepard went to access the controls, the terminal indicated that the tram was damaged and not going to move unless it some repairs were made to its rails.

"Tram's down," Shepard called out. "Move to the other one."

"Are we almost to our destination," the Arbiter asked.

"Liara," Shepard questioned.

"Yes," she replied. "the Prothean archives are at the next stop, literally."

They all jumped to the next tram, reloading and checking their weapons. All of them were really eager to get the data and get out, and it was understandable. The longer they delayed, the less time they had to stop Cerberus from doing potentially irreversible damage to not only Humanity but possibly the galaxy. The tram moved too slowly for everyone as Kaidan had taken to fidgeting with his rifle. James looked around everywhere. Shepard clenched her SMG very tightly. The Arbiter stared ahead, like he could already see the enemy. Liara just held her pistol and tried to remaine focused.

As expected, Cerberus troopers began to fire on them as soon as they entered the station, but everyone returned their welcomes back. Now there was more resistance, and a few troopers carrying more equipment to fight with. A riot shield or two coupled with stronger armored and shielded enemies, but nothing too severe. They were all a distraction. Liara and Shepard threw pulls, causing three troopers to rise unable to do anything. Shepard took down one, incinerating his armor while Liara took down the other. A slight thudding noise caused everyone to look down at the grenade at their feet. Everyone was quick to jump out of the tram to avoid the detonation. The grenade exploded harmlessly.

With four remaining, they were in the clear at this point. The combine fire of James and Kaidan forced one out of cover, and into the waiting target line of Shepard. Another tried to flank them, only to be cut down by the Arbiter's weapon. The final two could see the bleakness of their situation, and tried to retreat, but their running speed wasn't enough as one was taken down by Shepard's sniper rifle. The Arbiter closed the distance between the remaining one, using his Omni-Blade to pierce through armor and the human inside.

Everyone lowered their weapons as only one thing stood in the way: a single unlocked door.

"This is it," Liara said.

**Slightly late chapter by a few hours. My bad. Any way, REVIEW because they are what keep this story going for all of you. You know the drill. Tell me the goods and bads. Any story ideas for future events are welcome by me. Feel free to PM me if you have any ideas.**

** Updating is becoming more and more difficult, but because I love you all, I still update on a weekly basis. Continue to expect updates on Thursdays or Fridays.**

** Thanks for reading. If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope it was awesome for you. Thanks for reading, and remember, ****be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.**


	9. Chapter 9: To Destroy or to Control

Chapter 9: To Destroy or to Control

**Mars, Sol System**

** Mission to Prothean Archives**

** March 7, 2186**

** 1341 Hours**

**Shepard P.O.V**

Commander Jane Shepard leaned against the door to the archives, her submachine gun at the ready. Kaidan and Liara were prepared to breach the room while the Arbiter and James were checking their sixes, making sure that no one could ambush them. They had come too far and had wasted too much time to fail now. They couldn't fail now.

Giving a nod to Kaiden, the door opened to his presence, and Shepard and Liara pointed their guns in the now open area. Seeing that there were no hostiles at present, she lowered her weapons slightly but still kept her enhanced senses on high alert. It wasn't really surprising that there wasn't anyone else in here, at least not visible. This was the source of much of Humanity's advances into technology, the same that would allow them to reach the Citadel Council races, the same that was used by all intelligent life in the galaxy, the same technology that threatened the life of all galaxy now.

The Protheans weren't the first to fight the Reapers. They simply fought for the one of longest times if not the longest. Shepard didn't want to get her hopes up too high, but hope was all that was they were all depending upon, well, except maybe the Arbiter, but they all needed to pray that the Protheans had a solution, for the sake of all life in the galaxy.

Shepard was well aware of the Prothean archives, but she never had personally visited the archives before. Very few Humans could say that, and yet, it was the source of the most important discovery since the splitting of atom or something like that. Shepard couldn't really say that she was any science whizz, although she wished that she was. It would make conversations with Mordin more interesting, not that they weren't interesting already. She could understand some stuff, but that advanced stuff just wasn't exactly her cup of tea. She was more at home doing things with her hands rather than in a textbook, not that she could pull an Einstein now and then to completely throw everyone off.

"What is this," the Arbiter asked.

"The Prothean Archives," Shepard answered. "This is where Humanity made the greatest discovery in history. From this archive, we were able to travel into space and make contact with the races of the Citadel Council."

The Arbiter continued to stare at the large object that stood behind the glass. He seemed to be extremely interested in it for some odd reason. Shepard had to assume that he didn't know anything about the Protheans, because if he did, then he wouldn't be so intent on looking at it. In fact, he seemed to be beyond interested in it. It was like he was staring at it in order to decipher information from it. The Arbiter did have a way of looking at people and objects like he could see through them and discover things that were buried deeply.

She shook her head, realizing that they needed to get back on task.

They all advanced, weapons trained loosely at their sides. The Arbiter, however, kept his weapon fully extended and out in the open. His eyes were narrowed, In his other hand, his energy sword was activated and humming, ready to do major damage.

"Stay here," she called to James and Kaidan, "and guard the entrance."

They nodded their approval before both stood by the door, assault rifles at the ready.

Shepard looked at Liara on her right side, who nodded her head, and then to her left side where the Arbiter stood. He merely glanced at her and nodded his head in the direction of the Prothean artifact.

As soon as they reached the consol, Liara removed her breathing mask and began to type some commands. The Arbiter seemed intent on watching Liara work. Shepard took off her helmet, welcoming the open atmosphere more than her confined helmet space. While both Liara and the Arbiter were occupied by the Prothean artifact, Shepard began going through the rest of what needed to be done.

There was the Citadel Council to talk to, and no doubt they had many questions, and hesitancies. They always did. The first few times, it was understandable, but now if they continued to be like that, then she would have to force the issue. Politicians couldn't really be bothered to do anything unless it was forced on them.

Further thoughts were interrupted when the sound of the Arbiter's armor followed by his energy weapon being raised and his energy sword held at his side as well as Liara's drawing of her sidearm forced Shepard to turn around. The fact that Liara and the Arbiter didn't fire was an indication of someone they couldn't attack directly. Shepard turned, her sidearm held in one hand.

"Shepard," a voice said.

That voice was not what she wanted to hear now. It was a voice of deceit, mystery, and confidence, claiming to be the protectors and the guardians of Humanity, a blatant lie and more.

"Illusive Man," she spat. She didn't bother to hide her contempt. "I see you're still just as dedicated to the well-being of Humanity by ordering your lap dogs to kill the Alliance personnel."

"What we do here is for the good of Humanity," he began, "The Alliance has wasted thirty years and has done nothing with these artifacts."

"Enough games," Shepard said, "What do you want here?"

A paused followed. Shepard spared a glance at Liara, who looked really agitated and determined. She then saw the Arbiter, who looked about ready to tear the arms of off the Illusive Man, if he could. His orange eyes were burning with pure hatred and ire and his mandibles were pulled into what Shepard would think was a growl or something predatorial.

"Control, Shepard," the Illusive Man answered, "the artifacts can tell us how to control the Reapers. If Humanity could control the Reapers, we could dominate and evolve beyond all imagination."

"This is the dream of a delusional, paranoid, xenophobic human who clearly understands nothing about genocidal alien races, nor the power that they possess."

Shepard registered the Arbiter's voice, a voice mired with contempt, albeit very subtle, The Illusive Man, too, took notice of him as well.

For a seemingly long time, it was a staring contest, or rather a glaring contest, or maybe both, Shepard guessed, as she couldn't really tell either way. Both seemed to be testing each other for who was clearly the more resolute and more right in their ways. Both soundly ignored any and all sounds around them, focused on each other. They could also be doing far more. Shepard wondered who would win out. Both refused to back down. The seemingly long time was only seconds, and the Illusive Man spoke again.

"And who are you exactly," the Illusive Man inquired.

This seemed to only fuel the Arbiter further.

"The one who is going to see the Reapers destroyed and see you dead," he answered in a deadly tone.

His voice was no doubt filled with malicious intent and a promise.

"You always did find interesting company Shepard," the Illusive Man prodded, "individuals that would fight to destroy things that can be controlled. Too idealistic just like you."

"Not idealistic," the Arbiter deadpanned, "but realistic, something you mind refuses to accept."

A very audible growl was emitted from the alien's mandibles. Shepard decided to refocus on the task

"You can't control the Reapers," Shepard said, "No one can control them. You'll just fall victim to them, become their slaves."

"You fail to understand the bigger picture, Shepard," the Illusive Man said simply. "The Reapers are the step to advancing further. Your destruction of the Collectors base severely hampered our abilities to study how to counter and harness the Reapers,"

"I don't control abominations," Shepard growled. "I don't harness abominations. I destroy abominations. They were responsible for destroying lives."

"And that is where we differ," he continued.

"How can you even justify this," Shepard pressed. "Earth, the Human homeworld is under attack and all you care about is learning how to become better."

"Enough of this," the Arbiter interrupted. "This scourge will not heed your warning. His threat will be laid to rest when he is dead."

Shepard gritted her teeth. Yes, that did seem like a really good idea. No, it didn't seem like a good idea. It was the only idea worth pursuing when dealing with the Illusive Man. Clearly, he couldn't see it.

"We'll see if you two can back that promise up," the man said, with no trace of humor

"We're done here," Shepard concluded. "Liara."

Liara nodded and began to work at the console, but the Arbiter didn't join her. He simply continued to try and burn a hole through the holo-image of the Illusive Man.

"You've been warned Shepard," he said. "Don't get in the way."

"Acknowledged," Shepard challenged. "but don't think this is over, not by a long shot."

"Shepard," Liara shouted.

"What," the commander snapped.

"The data, I can't find it. It's not here," she reported quickly.

"Explain," Shepard spoke irritably.

"The data's being deleted," Liara said frantically.

Shepard shifted her eyes to where James and Kaidan were now not guarding the door and scanning the room, their rifles aimed around. They must have heard what was going on.

"Can you stop it," Shepard asked.

"No, someone's blocking me. The data's being downloaded locally," the Asari reported.

**00000000000000000000**

**Arbiter P.O.V**

The Arbiter heard Liara's last bit and that was all he needed to hear. Whoever was downloading the data was likely in this room somewhere, and he would find them, and he would tear them to shreds. Anyone working for that filth called the Illusive Man was not worthy of mercy.

His eyes turned towards the human Major, who was scanning the room along with the Lieutenant.

"You, Stop!"

Thel turned his head to see Kaidan pointing his gun towards an unseen person hidden in a small alcove of a room lining the many circular platforms lining the massive Prothean artifacts, as Shepard and Liara and the Illusive Man had called them. He would have to ask more about these Protheans later. Something about those artifacts struck a familiar chord with him.

"Away from the console," the Major shouted. "Now!"

Thel could make out the sound of a well-placed hit hitting its mark, followed by the Major being flung a few meters back flat on his back. He then saw a human woman making a run for it. After a second of watching, the Arbiter could instantly guess who it was in one shot. Wasting no time, he took off in pursuit of the Cerberus agent. He paid no mind to Shepard and the squad. The agent was the more pressing concern.

For an average-looking human, she ran unusually quickly, but not that quick. Thel found himself closing the gap in mere seconds. She saw him closing in and tried to slow his speed by tossing an incineration grenade at him. Instead of dodging to the side. He simply continued forward, his shields barely taking damage from the now-open flames. Craning his neck slightly to keep his field of vision clear, he pressed forward and closed what little distance there was left. When within a meter, the human responded by trying to shoot him, but like he had done with so many humans, he smacked the weapon from her hands gingerly. She responded with a rapid punch intended for his abdomen. The Arbiter merely parried with his forearm before grabbing the human by her throat and lifting her high in the air.

The instantly his hand came into contact, Thel knew something was not as it seemed. He did not feel the texture or feature of skin or leather as her outfit seemed to suggest, but the cold and unmistakable feel of metal. As he clued this together, he was forced to move his other arm to defend against some poorly-attempted strikes despite her clear disadvantage. There was more strength in this woman's strikes than what her physical form seemed to suggest that she was capable of, which only served to incite extra suspicions.

Deciding to do an experiment to confirm what he believed to be the truth, he threw her weight around, not noticing any unusual amount of weight before slamming her into the wall. There was no cry of pain, not a sound, but the sound of metal on metal was not lost on him. He knew the noise all too well.

This was no human at all. This was an artificial intelligence. That would explain the atypical strength and speed and agility that did not seem possible. He could not recall ever seeing an artificial intelligence with a body. All constructs in the Covenant and UNSC were always electronic. They may take physical appearances, but were never truly palpable.

The machine once again tried to release itself from his grasp, but the Arbiter slammed harder into the wall, then activated his Omni-tool's blade before implanting it into the abdomen of the human-looking artificial intelligence. The artificial intelligence continued to remain defiant until it succumbed to the critical damage sustained and slumped offline. The Arbiter lowered his arm, and in that moment, Shepard and Liara came sprinting in, looking a little worse for wear in terms of energy, well everyone except for the commander, looking only faintly winded from running.

"Don't tell me you killed her," Shepard said, taking lightly audible breaths.

The Arbiter turned his head to look down the hallway that he had sprinted through. He forgot that normal humans could not keep up with him. Only Spartans had comparable or superior speed. The chase must have gone a bit farther than he anticipated, but no matter.

"This is not a living organism," Thel said, "This is an artificial intelligence."

"An A.I," Shepard raised her eyebrow in wonder.

To make his point, the Sangheili slammed the limp body against the wall. The banging sound made it clear to those who were not aware.

"Okay," Shepard began, "We have the data. Now we need to-"

The sound of radio static and a familiar voice stopped all conversation.

"_Commander, ** **** spooted Reapers coming into orbit. You'd better hurry your ass up here now."_

Thel slung the body over his shoulder, his body adjusting to the extra weight.

"Negative," the commander replied. "We're cut off from the shuttle."

"_Forget *** shuttle. Just *** ** to these coordinates. We **** have **** time."_

"Understood," she said, turning to the squad. "Reapers are here. We're probably going to have to deal with ground forces."

"Those guys are really starting to be a major pain in my ass," James commented.

"We can find a better time to curse at them," Kaidan interrupted.

"We must keep moving," the Arbiter said, pointing. towards a ladder.

Nodding her head, Shepard took point, descending up, followed by Kaidan, then Liara, and then James. With careful movements, Thel made his way up the ladder quickly, not trusting it for a moment. It could snap with his weight combined with the dead weight he was carrying. but fortunately it did not. As he climbed out, the sound of gunfire, brought his energy sword to bear.

The Reapers had already made a foothold on the surface. The husks, as Shepard had called them, were already scattering their path. The others had already fired and taken down ten of them. Thel would join them, but they were running out of time to get out off of Mars. they needed to leave before they were obliterated from orbit by one of the Reapers ships.

Thel darted to the commander in cover, using her sniper rifle to take clean and precise head shots.

"These ground forces are stalling. We could be vaporised from orbit if we do not hurry," he advised.

"Yes, I guessed as much, but they're blocking our root," she responded. then fired again. "We're getting to the landing pad with that mob in our way."

Thel cursed in Sangheili. They would never clear the husks out at this speed. He needed to make short work of them before the Reapers cruisers made short work of all of them. As if on cue, the mechanical hum of a Reaper ship could be heard, and Thel saw them approaching the base.

The landing pad was about a quarter kilometer or so away, but there were at least seven or so husk groups of five or more blocking their path. They were not particularly difficult opponents. but Shepard was correct in her assessment. They could not charge in.

"I will create a diversion," the Arbiter spoke, "Get to the landing pad."

With that, he handed Shepard the body of the artificial intelligence and activated his active camouflage, readying his weapons.

**00000000000000000000**

**Shepard P.O.V**

Shepard saw the fallen AI's body at her feet before seeing the Arbiter disappear in a flash. She really didn't like it when he did this, rushing off without really giving her enough time to say whether his plan would get himself, herself, or her squad killed, but she had to trust that he would keep them all alive. So far, he hadn't let her down yet, and that was a good sign.

Realizing that she was low on sniper rifle ammo, she switched to her sub-machine gun. She fired a burst at the nearest charging husk, aiming to her left quickly to shoot another. The shots themselves did most of the damage while the incendiary part did the rest, cooking the undead things. James came next to her.

"Um, where's mister solo killer," James shouted over the fire.

"Hell if I know, lieutenant," Shepard. "Said something about creating a diversion.

As if on cue, the sound of a unique weapon caught both of their attention. The Arbiter was now firing the same weapon that he had given the commander. She still had it on her person, even if the weapon was still recharging. It gave her a feeling of power and confidence. Watching the Arbiter firing, she kept her weapon aimed. waiting for the right moment. The Arbiter stopped firing, but the weapon was now glowing a brilliant green. Then he fired a giant ball of energy.

_A supercharged shot, _she concluded. _I got to make sure to remember to figure that out_

"Kaidan," she called out, "take this thing. I'm going to help out the Arbiter."

Predictably, the massive alien had caught the attention of the majority of the husks. Their fire was concentrated on him. Shepard didn't know how long his shields could hold against that much fire, but his speed was proving to be an extremely important factor in his continued survival. The husks, now with their attention away from Shepard and the rest of the squad, they all opened-fired, taking down eight with concentrated fire. Shepard stepped out of cover, charging forward and activating her Omni-blade to slash at one. She then turned to punch another square in the head, followed by a impale.

Three husks charged at her. She held her left hand out, biotics flaring, and her fist connected to the platform, the energy from the slam causing the husks to fly off the deck and into a descent. The sight of her shields bar draining led her to the source: two more firing at her. Weaving to her right, she blindly aimed her sub-machine gun and pulled the trigger. The shots connect with one, taking it down, and the other moved to another firing position. Priming her remaining grenade, she tossed it in the general direction of the hidden shooter, not bothering to look back as the area flared up.

Up ahead, the Arbiter was contending with husks and shooters. In front of him was that same large shield that was capable of defending against all means of fire. Deciding to try and draw some of the fire away from him, she fired bursts not meant to kill. It attracted the attention of six, but many still remained focused on the Arbiter. Two husks came at her. Activating her dual Omni-blades, she shifted her body to the side to dodge a swipe. She then ducked under another strike, moving her blades into an x-shape and quickly spinning around, downing the two. Her blade swung around to intercept a husk before its hand could reach her. A quick kick sent it careening into a nearby crate. She then turned around to quickly draw her sidearm and fire at another husk. her biotics came to life again, her fist impacting and penetrating the body of a husk, its limbs falling limp instantly. The remaining charging one's was crushed under her boot.

Shepard had been shortening the span between herself and the Arbiter. could see the bodies of the victims of his diversion. Two husks were approaching from behind him. Pushing her legs to their limit, her blades came up. She dived, holding her blades so that they impaled with the heads of the husks before they could connect to the Arbiter. The husks, still connected to the orange blades, collapsed to the ground, not moving.

The silence that succeeded the sounds of weapons fire told Shepard that they had all been dealt with. To make matters better, the sound of the _Normandy's _engines gave her a sigh of satisfaction.

Looking behind her. she saw Liara, Kaiden, and James follow up. Kaiden carried the body with a little bit of difficulty. He wasn't use to carrying the weight for long distances.

Her concentration was stopped when the sound of a Reaper ship roar. Her mind clicked was to come next.

"GET DOWN!"

One of the Reapers fired its crimson energy beam straight towards them.

The Arbiter was a blur of movement as he moved in front of her, activating his giant shield. She was quick to duck and take cover, as did the others, but the Arbiter was launched a few meters back from the force of the beam. His form slammed against the wall of the facility. He fell to all four, staying there, then slowly getting up to his knees.

"Arbiter," she called, running towards him, and kneeling in front of him.

"I am fine," he said.

It was then that she saw something that gave her a spike of alert: a purple liquid fell to the ground. It was his blood! she surmised.

"How bad," Shepard demanded.

"Very minimal," the Arbiter claimed, grunting low.

"We'll see about that," Shepard said, activating her com. "Joker, we got a wounded. Get down here."

The _Normandy _did a swing-by again before coming to a stop on the landing platform.

The Arbiter was quick to get to his feet. His strides were find at a glance, but Shepard could detect a slight stagger, not much, but it was there.

Everyone was quick to board the _Normandy_, eager to leave. The Reapers were coming in full force here.

Shepard hoped to God that whateve intel that they had was worth it.

**Short chapter, I know, but REVIEW, because they'rethe reason I continue to write chapters for this story. You know the drill. Give me the ups and downs.**

**The conversation with the Illusive Man was really tricky for me. I had to do what I thought was right, but I don't know if you guys think I did anything wrong, or if the depiction was off, you can comment about it. Also, concerning the hard light shield that I gave the Arbiter, I think that fifteen seconds is being real generous, so yeah.**

**Hope you guys all enjoyed reading. Keep it up , and remember, a small pebble can trigger a landslide. Peace out!**


	10. Chapter 10: Injuries and Conversation

Chapter 10: Injuries and Large Space Stations

**En Route to Citadel**

** March 7 2186**

** Mission to rally Council**

**Shepard P.O.V**

"Come on," Shepard implored. "We just need to use some medi-gel."

"I would prefer that you not," The Arbiter said once again.

"Why" Shepard demanded a little too harshly.

"My injuries are minor at worst and need not be attended to," he said irritably, "I am far more resilient to damage than you know."

Jane Shepard wanted to believe that, but she also wanted to believe there was more to it than that. She knew when people were lying through their teeth or withholding certain details, and the Arbiter was no exception, even if his teeth were lined in mandibles and not jaws. Shepard had tended to many wounds before, everything ranging from minor cuts and bruises and bleeds to some potentially lethal and life-threatening injuries and blows. She was no doctor by any means, but after learning so much from hands-on experience and some from Doctor Karin Chakwas, she was more than capable of keeping injured soldiers of all kinds alive long enough to get them to a true doctor who could heal them. Shepard missed the good doctor greatly. She was full of wisdom. Maybe if she was here, she could talk some sense into the Arbiter.

So here was Commander Shepard, still in-armor, still in the shuttle bay, arguing away with her newest squad member, and probably her most stubborn one to date, even more so than any other member.

"Look, just take some medi-gel," Shepard continued, "what can it hurt?"

"A lot of things," he retorted.

Shepard's face shifted into another glare, and the Arbiter met her gaze with his eyes. There was a tense moment before the Arbiter spoke, but he did not remove his eyes from hers.

"Forgive me, but understand that I have been some rather profound changes in my lifetime. I am not use to accepting medical help nor have I ever wanted it. It is a matter of personal honor and pride. All Sangheili that are warriors are filled with pride and confidence."

Shepard perked her head up. Although it was not her intended goal, she had just unwittingly heard a lot about the Arbiter, enough for her to piece together more about him, or at least enough to explain some of his behaviors. She was glad that she had caught his species, Sangheili. The name seemed to mean something significant. She had to know now.

"Does your species name translate to something," Shepard inquired.

For a moment, the Arbiter regarded her question without any sort of response, but Shepard guessed that he was probably determining whether he wanted to answer the question. The question might have also thrown him off guard, due to the abruptness and not having to do with their quarrel about his injuries. Finally, after a considerable pause, he chose to answer.

"No it does not," he began, "at least not in our language. It was a name for our species, but you humans would call us "Elites" due to our prowess in battle, but a few human minds decided to use a language called Latin to give us the name Macto Cognatus."

"And what does that mean," Shepard asked.

"The humans of our galaxy said it meant I glorify my kin," the Arbiter replied, "and it was met with universal approval from our warriors."

Shepard nodded in understanding. So the Arbiter was essentially like a Japanese ninja or samurai. She should have seen that one. It showed in his fighting style. Close-quarters fighting and hand-to-hand combat were the marks of an honor-bound warriors most of the time, although she noticed that he seemed to be unbiased when it came to using weapons. He certainly displayed the traits of a no-nonsense, disciplined, cool, and controlled leader. And if the Latin name was any indication, all warriors cared for each other probably as family and brothers rather than being simply comrades. She knew that feeling, what that was like. Her squad was family, even the more disagreeable characters.

"Well," Shepard said, "I may not be your leader, but you're part of my team now, and I make it my business to make sure that all of my square are at one-hundred percent."

"And I sincerely appreciate the kindness," the Arbiter commented, "but I am merely saying that perhaps your concern is best saved for someone who has greater need of it. My injuries may appear unpleasant, but I will recover. If I must, I can apply this medi-gel to the injuries, but I do not believe this to be a necessary course."

Shepard nodded her head in approval. While she wasn't convinced that his injuries weren't bad, she was impressed with the display of selflessness that he showed, although she had a feeling that mentality might be limited to combatants and warriors, but she couldn't judge him really based on that. Shepard didn't really know enough. She would keep watch over him. His injuries were her concern whether he cared for her attention or not, and although she hadn't said it, she had this sense that she could trust the Arbiter.

"Then let's talk about something else," Shepard said, "I know that some else is bothering you."

"Not literally," he answered, "but yes, I have many questions."

"Well, fire away," the commander spoke. "I'm not exactly an encyclopedia of knowledge, but I can tell you a lot."

"Those large artifacts, what are they?"

"Those are artifacts that once belonged to the Protheans, an ancient space-faring conquering race that ruled pretty much all of the galaxy for thousands of years. This was about fifty-thousand years ago."

"And what became of the Protheans," he asked.

"What's happening to use now: the Reapers. Every 50,00 years, the Reapers come to destroy all organic and synthetic life. They do it because they believe that conflict between species is inevitable and that the only way to stop this supposed future is to destroy all life."

The Arbiter lowered his head in thought, and Shepard still marvelled at how he still towered over her. Although most of the Normandy's ceilings were greater than the Arbiter's height, it was not by much. Standing at full height, the Arbiter probably would have very little space.

The silence was many things, but then a thought suddenly came to mind.

"You said that you faced galactic extinction before," she said, "back on Mars. What were you talking about?"

"Our galaxy was plagued by a parasitic organism known as the flood. Similarly to your Reapers, the Flood forcibly feed off of sentient life, transforming them into abominations. Their quest to consume all life in the galaxy has persisted even through dormancy."

"So you've dealt with this sort of thing before," Shepard asked, almost excitedly.

"Yes," he answered simply, "but the Sangheili were not alone. The humans were also our allies."

"What are they like, the humans where you come from," she said, crossing her arms, but still remaining attentive.

"The humans here and the humans there are similar in most ways." the Arbiter explained, "The same mentality, the same fight, just on a larger scale and with more useless allies. Humanity in our galaxy did not spend much time talking. They did more things in action. It garnered the respect and even admiration from many of the Sangheili. Here, all I see are afraid politicians that are still trying to hold on to their last vestiges of stability before being forced to look at the reality of the Reaper threat,"

"For the record," Shepard said, "I agree with you. Most people don't understand the Reapers like we do. They don't know because they're not always on the frontlines. I don't fault them for it. Politicians aren't meant to be fighting. They're meant to be leading their people into times of nonviolence and peace. Things that shake them like the Reapers are what scare them. It's frustrating to deal with, but that's why all the Citadel species have armies and navies."

The Arbiter responded with a grunt of approval. It was brief, but it showed a sign of applause, even if not in the best of ways, but Shepard prefered this to the lying and deceit that she often had to deal with.

It was beyond easy to find someone who pretended to understand or to approve or to sympathise when in reality they cared little for the person. Shepard didn't care for those people, but she couldn't really find it in herself to disavow them or to berate them. Some people simply believed in what they did, and she could respect that, even if she didn't agree personally. Call it misplaced righteousness or naivety, but given the chance, she would probably save everyone that she could, even if they were evil. Shepard considered herself the closest thing to a mortal angel as possible. Although she was a soldier and it was her duty to shoot and kill, fighting on the battlefield and fighting one-on-one were two different things.

These thoughts made her turn to the Illusive Man. She had let out an emotion that she shouldn't have, and the Arbiter didn't really help matters. It was one of the few times she got angry out in the field. She couldn't say that she liked the man one bit, but she couldn't say that she truly hated him. He was a misled man with misguided hatred and misguided beliefs. He was a xenophobic human.

Shepard shouldn't have been threatening him. She should have been asking for his help, because like it or not, he was just as much a victim of the Reapers as they all were. He simply thought that his actions could control the Reapers, but the Reapers were far too intelligent for any being to truly understand and control. Not even the Protheans fully understood the Reapers. The Illusive Man was mad with power, and Shepard, albeit begrudgingly, would do everything she could to convince the misled man to turn away from his path.

It was one thing to say that to herself, but most of her squad didn't share her sentimentality, and from the Arbiter's reaction, he didn't like the Illusive Man at all and wanted him dead, but Shepard knew that for the Arbiter, an unknown to this galaxy, to take an immediate hatred towards the Illusive Man, he had to have experienced someone or something else of that experience.

She had to ask.

"Back on Mars," Shepard began, "when you spoke to the Illusive Man, what was all that about?"

"It was a simple matter," he said calmly, "that human is clearly set on his ways. His obsession, his arrogance, his lust for power, it is all clear as the black space that surrounds us."

"So what," Shepard argued, "lots of people are greed and arrogant and obsessed. Doesn't mean they need to die."

"You do not understand, Shepard," he shook his head, "The Illusive Man is not concerned about humanity or concerned about anyone's well-being. His personal goals override all things. If allowed, he would cause damage that may not be irreversible. He is a threat to the innocent civilians across this galaxy. His kind do not negotiate. His kind do not see reason. They see only what they want to see, and that is why you should see him dead. It is not just for the safety of yourself, but for the galaxy."

"That's not true," Shepard rebutted, "he can change. Anyone can change."

"You naivety is noble and admirable," he said, "even if somewhat misplaced."

Shepard gave him a look of exasperation. This conversation was like a loop, never ending. She wouldn't change her ways of thinking, and he wouldn't change his ways of thinking, at least not at this time. She respected such, as everyone was entitled to what they wished to believe, even if she didn't share those those beliefs.

"I'm not giving up yet," she proclaimed. "I didn't get this far by killing everyone that didn't like me."

"Perhaps not, but it is clear he is the enemy. He will not change. It is evident, and you know this."

Shepard bit her lips. She didn't want to lose hope for him. For all of his abominable creations and ideals, he was still human. Making the Illusive Man her enemy wasn't the solution, but he wasn't giving her much choice in the matter. Maybe she should do something else.

"I need to contact Admiral Hackett," she said abruptly, turning to leave.

**00000000000000000000**

**Arbiter P.O.V.**

The Arbiter watched Shepard go, his eyes tracking her until she was out of sight. Once he was certain that she was out of eyesight, he began to assess his injuries. His armor reported nothing outstanding that would impede his ability to continue in combat, but he was injured enough to warrant some degree of concern. He had lost a bit of blood, but he didn't really want Shepard's help healing. He would heal quickly. The pain he was feeling now was minor in comparison to what he had experienced before. He quickly pushed that thought out of his head before he began to think too much on the past.

Deciding to look around the ship more, Thel took to walking down the halls, noticing every aspect of each room that he could make out. He was careful to make sure that he had ample space between his head and the ceiling. This ship was not built to accommodate his height, but this was a human vessel, so he would not expect it to be so. He was mindful of not disturbing any of the crew while at work. They stopped to notice him and feel awe, fear, curiosity, or admiration. That was for a moment before they would resume their duties. Judging from the reactions, Thel could easily notice that perhaps these humans had spent a considerable amount of time with other races, that or they trusted Shepard's judgement enough. Either way, it was satisfying that he was not the subject of prejudice.

It was then he found himself in a strange somewhat-oval-shaped room. At the very center of the room. there lie a star map, three-dimensional and all the nebulas, systems, clusters, and systems clearly labelled and easily accessible. As Thel stepped closer, he was somewhat surprised to see the exact same shape of what the humans liked to call the Milky Way Galaxy. Taking it at face value, he could see the same exact shape, but apart from general shape, nothing looked like the galaxy he was use to. None of the planets looked the same. None of the systems looked the same. None of the stars aligned the same way. Nothing was right to him. It was all jumbled and misleading to him. He would have to spend more time here studying the map. Thel always did make sure that as Supreme Commander, he had a thorough and detailed understanding of star maps. These were very critical to coordinating resources and fighting the enemy.

As he was quick to examine the star map, he turned to notice what appeard to be a human female working at one of the consoles. Her skin tone was slightly darker than that of the others, actually more so than the others working in the room. She tapped away at fast rate, completely focused on her work. As he regarded her, she turned around, and jumped back at the sight of him, the sight of him being very frightening.

"Calm down, human," Thel said, "Commander Shepard knows of me."

"Of that's I've no doubt," she said rather timidly, still clearly intimidated by him, "I'm sorry to have reacted that way. It's just that I've never seen your species before."

"No one in this galaxy has ever seen a Sangheili, and those who have are dead," he said bluntly.

"Right," she trailed off, "well, I'm Specialist Samantha Traynor at your service."

"Sangheili Arbiter Thel 'Vadam," he said, wondering why he saw fit to reveal his name now. It was not something that he desired to be secret, yet it did not feel right for it to be known now, but it was too late regardless.

"Arbiter," she repeated, "is that a rank of high regard in your society."

"It really depends on who you ask," Thel said, "I think nothing of it. I find no satisfaction in commanding legions from a ship or inside a fortress. I would prefer to be fighting with who I lead."

"I'm sure the commander and you will get along just fine," she commented, looking him up and down and them back to his armored head.

He merely grunted a sound of acknowledgement, not bothering to answer to the rather ridiculous statement before turning to finish his exploration of the bridge. He and Shepard has clear differences, and while they shared similar qualities as leaders and warriors, he strongly disagreed with her sense of right and wrong in the way that it interfered with the reality of what had to be done.

His journey led him to down a small hallway before finding himself at what he could easily distinguish as the main cockpit. From there he watched from his place as the single pilot sitting in the very center chair worked away at the holographic controls, occasionally shifting to look at some other reading or console. Thel remained silent as the pilot worked away.

Then a voice broke the silence.

"Jeff, there is an observer behind you," a somewhat unusual female voice spoke.

"Better not be Shepard," a male voice said, the tone sounding sarcastic.

"No, Shepard is currently conversing with Admiral Hackett."

"Kaidan," he said.

"Major Alenko is currently in the armory."

"Liara," he spoke again.

"It is the most recent addition to Shepard's ground squad."

"Lieutenant Vega," he guessed.

Thel growled softly. He was not sure if this pilot was purposefully avoiding referring to him or if he really was that oblivious to who was on the ship.

"Jeff it is-"

"I know who it is, EDI," he said before finally turning around.

The chair swivelled around, and the human displayed a bit of shock, but not really in the fearful sense.

"Shit man, and I thought that Krogans were big and scary, but you might just give them a run for their money," he stated.

"I do not know what a Krogan is," Thel replied.

"Shepard wasn't kidding when she said you weren't from this galaxy," he laughed, "but you might be fake being dumb about not knowing."

"Not likely, as you have never seen my species ever before," the Arbiter disputed.

"Just the same, cool to meet you. I'm called Joker. I'd shake your hand, but I'm really fit to be moving around."

Thel tilted his head. "Why is that?"

"Vrolik syndrome. Makes my bone prone to break more easily than everyone else, hence why I'm piloting the Normandy."

Thel nodded his head in understanding. He could admire anyone that would serve in the military despite possessing an ailment. They might have to work harder than the normal ones, but in a way, that made them stronger than many others they served with.

"I see," the Arbiter said, "and your moniker, Joker, where does that come from?"

"Prying right into my life, eh. Well, you're not from around, so I guess you get off. From my earlier days in Alliance pilot training. Nobody thought I could do anything because of my problem, and I proved them wrong, graduated top of my class. Never smiled much that in those days, but I earned where I am now. Now, I'm the Normandy's heart and spirit,"

"Technically, Jeff, I fill that role as you are the pilot of this vessel."

"And that's EDI, the ships artificial intelligence. Hope you don't mind," Joker added.

"Not at all. Artificial intelligences are quite common from where I am from,"

"Can't imagine what that's like."

The Arbiter, setting aside the small talk, could sense truth to those words of the pilot's story. He filed Joker away as someone he could trust, even if a sarcastic attitude came with the package, but maybe he could find something amusing in his humor and sarcasm. It was definitely different from all of the seriousness of the battlefield. He could see why Shepard might have him along.

"Might I ask where it is that we travel towards," the Arbiter inquired.

"The Citadel," Shepard said from behind.

They turned to see the commander, now out of her armor and dressed in a standard alliance outfit that most of the human crew wore.

"This Citadel," Thel began, "is the seat of all the races in the galaxy,"

"In a sense," Shepard explained, but all species retain their own separate governments. The Citadel Council acts as way for each species to coordinate their armies and navies and to make decisions that affect the galaxyas a whole. Stick around, the Citadel's quite a site."

"And that sight is coming up in three, two, one," Joker concluded, the slight shift telling Tehl that they were back in normal space.

Thel, for a moment could not see in front of him, but the the image came crystal-clear as the human saying went. It was a five-arm station each army connected to s central hub or center. It was a relatively simple design, although Halo had a more simple design.

"Impressive, right," Joker asked.

They responded as bluntly as he possibly could.

"No."

"No," Shepard inquired.

"This station is nothing compared to what I have seen before," the Arbiter stated.

"Can't wait to hear what's more exciting than this 50 kilometer beauty," Joker said.

"Perhaps a 10,000 kilometer station," Thel said plainly

The response that came forced him to stifle a laugh.

"10,000 KILOMETERS!?"

**And done for now. Sorry about the short chapter, but lots of stuff is going on now in life. As always, REVIEW! They're the reasons I keep this story going. Tell me the goods and the bads. Thanks to everyone whose supports this story.**

**If you have any story suggestions or ideas, leave me a PM.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading. Next chapter, the Arbiter takes a trip to the Citadel and explorers!**


	11. Chapter 11: Citadel Visit Part 1

Chapter 11: The Citadel

**Citadel, Widow**

** March 7, 2186**

** Mission to Rally Council**

** 1457 Hours**

**Shepard P.O.V.**

Jane Shepard had been through a lot of slippery situations. She had, after all, recruited some of the most dangerous and skilled individuals in the galaxy from biotics to assassins to sharpshooters to soldiers to Justicars. She had taken down a Reaper, destroyed the Collector's base, taken on the Geth, Saren, the Batarians, anyone who crossed paths with her ended up being humbled, that or dead, though Shepard would never find any pleasure in killing. It had to be done. It was her duty as a soldier to shoot first and ask questions, but when that duty could be suspended if only momentarily, she tried to reason or talk.

Now, she was dealing with a serious security problem. It was not herself that was the problem, but rather her strange companion, the Arbiter. He was not a registered member of the Citadel Council races and it didn't help matters that his species was completely new, which only served to make more confusion amongst the C-Sec officers.

"Look, can't you make an exception," she asked Captain Bailey.

"Shepard, I can't just grant access to the Citadel to anyone not registered, and a new species much less."

"He's part of my squad," she explained. "I trust him, and I can vouch for him. He won't cause any trouble."

Shepard maybe said that a bit prematurely, but at this point, she figured that the Arbiter had proven himself enough in order to earn at least a bit of leniency, but she would keep tabs on him, but not to make sure he did things right, but how he reacted to the things around him.

From his look now, he was utterly unimpressed with the Citadel and everyone in it, at least for now. Their earlier conversation had still left her a bit shell-shocked. Never in her wildest dreams could she ever dream of a space station of over ten-thousand kilometers. How could such a station be built? It seemed certainly impossible, but then again, she was thinking in terms of Mass Effect technology. In this time and universe, to even consider thinking about a station of that size was beyond ludicrous. Had she not sensed and noticed his seriousness and bluntness, she might take him for a complete lunatic, but she had no reason to not believe him. He did come from another galaxy, a galaxy that held technologies that didn't know anything about. His species and the humans in his galaxy maybe had technology that outdid the council.

Even if she didn't know if his technology levels were that much better than their own, the commander could say that his physical stature and rather intimidating cold stare was doing its job pretty well. He said nothing, but it was clear that the C-Sec officers were all spooked out. Shepard never thought she'd see the day when a Turian was this taken aback. She wondered what Garrus would think about him.

"Just let him through," Shepard said, "I think I have a right to that much as a Council Spectre."

Bailey paused to weigh his options, and so far, he didn't have many, because he relented rather swiftly.

"Just be careful," he said warily.

"Do not fret, human," the Arbiter said annoyingly, "I have no reason to disrupt any going-ons on this Citadel. There probably is not much to see regardless."

Bailey didn't really know what to say, but he let them pass, watching them as they exited the ship airlock.

Shepard took a breath and let it out. The Citadel could sometimes be a sight to behold. Other times, it could be a place of great reminder, some good and bad, but right now, Shepard wasn't really in the mood for reminiscing, nor did she care to right now. They had more pressing matters to attend.

Her first order of business was to speak to the Citadel Council. She didn't want to take anyone with her. Politics could be a really boring matter to deal with, and even if she did put up with it, she couldn't really say that she liked it. She was a soldier, not a politician, but being a Spectre, she had to put up with a certain amount of this in order to remain in the good graces of the council as well as to represent humanity as a whole.

The second order of business was to take a look around the citadel and see if anyone else around she knew. She supposed that having a few chats couldn't hurt right now, but she didn't know who could be on the Citadel right now. Garrus was probably at Palavan helping his people. Thane was nowhere to be found, but Shepard thought that maybe she wasn't looking enough. Tali had returned to the Quarian Fleet, no doubt busy keeping her people safe. Miranda Lawson could be anywhere, but one thing was certain: she didn't work for Cerberus anymore. Jacob Taylor, too, had probably left Cerberus, but what he would do, she didn't know. Grunt was probably with his people, probably with Wrex, who was surprisingly busy these days. Jack, well, Shepard hadn't a clue where the tattooed-woman was, but she hoped the woman was at least doing somewhat okay given her rough life. Kasumi had been one of the first to disappear after the Collector's base, and had gone off to do what she did best: thieving. Mordin had continued on his journey to be the genius scientific mind that he was. Zaeed was back to his old business, at least the commander guessed; he could never really be anything else. Samara was gone to do whatever her code demanded. And Legion?

Oh how she missed them all, the strange band of people that she called family, oddly enough. Some family they all turned out to be, and now, she possibly had another to add.

Kaidan and James had broken off to do what they wanted and probably needed to do. Political talks weren't something they were interested in. Only she needed to do this. Then again, Liara might want a part in this too. She was the one that did the decoding of the data from the robot AI's memory. So far, it was a far-fetched idea, but one that might work.

She turned to the Arbiter to ask him something, but the massive alien was nowhere to be seen. Her panic mode began to kick in again. She may be giving more leeway to the Arbiter, but he was still new in this galaxy. Would he do anything wrong? Shepard couldn't say for certain.

**00000000000000000000**

**Arbiter P.O.V**

While Commander Shepard had been busying that human security officer, Thel had decided to wander for a time, get to know a bit more about the galaxy that he existed in. More than anything, he wished to know what other species lived within the Citadel Council government. He had some ideas of what to expect, most of them at least tolerable. If Shepard's interactions with Liara were any indication, then he could at least all the species coexisting peacefully.

"Halt," a voice broke his silence.

He stopped, looking down at the closest human. His eyes were also drawn to the blue fields of energy blocking his way. Were they energy doors, or were they a scanner?

"What is it that you desire, human," Thel asked.

"We haven't seen you species before," he said, "you've got no identity, and we can't let you on."

"Commander Shepard of the Systems Alliance is the one to speak to about the matter," the Arbiter said, leaving no more room for discussion.

"I say again, we can't let you on. If Commander Shepard speaks for you, then she'll need to speak to us."

"She is not my guardian," Thel chided, "and I am not her subordinate."

That seemed to get everyone on high alert. The Arbiter probably spoke a bit loudly for comfort, but he had no inclination to deal with this now, and he did not want to wait for Shepard. If he did, he would be suggested incapability, and he could not accept any sort of weakness, not even this. One way or another, he would find a way to get through just short of actually inflicting harm or killing. That would not work.

"It would me much more simpler if you would allow me entry," Thel pressed again.

"I can't," the human repeated, "I'm sorry, but ever since the attack on Earth-"

"Now we return to this again," Thel interrupted annoyingly, "using fear of the Reapers to justify denying me entry."

"It's out of my hands," the man said, "the council is getting extra paranoid about things."

"No," Thel rebutted, "you could easily let me pass, but you will not, and why? To retain you position? To follow the rules? Those rules will be nullified if the Reapers win the war. There will be nothing left for anyone. Think on that."

Thel knew that he had the man caught in a battle that was being easily won. Even if Thel was not one for political talks, he certainly could use words to bring out the things he needed most, and right now, it was satisfying that he still retained this ability. It would probably be used to great quantity for some time.

With a great sigh and some grumbling, the human finally relented, clearly not liking to be backed into the corner of reason and logic.

Thel's impatience was forgotten until he passed through the blue door. So it was a scan of some sort, but he proceeded without looking at anyone else.

The first thing that was apparent to Thel was the atmosphere, which was strangely too impressionable. The peace, the quiet, the calmness, it was all strange to Thel. Species of all sorts walked, spoke, and interacted with each other. This kind of peace, he would not know about it. Even the Earth at home, as beautiful as it was, even there, Thel could sense the struggling and strife of the UNSC as humanity made its final stand. Here, this was all too marvelous to be a reality. It was for these reasons that Thel could now see why these races might be so reluctant to realize the Reaper threat. All this could potentially go to ruin if they did fight back, but it would be worse just remaining where they were. At this point, if they did not heed the threat, with all the physical proof that was in generous supply, nothing ever would get them to fight back.

As he passed by, he was receiving many stares, all seen easily. Few were even subtle, and the few who were were not doing a good enough job of it. It stood to reason that his presence would cause this to happen, but the stares were not what concerned him. It was more about the actual species he was looking at. So far, he could not name any because he did not know what to call them. Even those blue human-looking aliens did not come to his mind. He needed to find a way to find out without looking like a complete fool.

Remembering something that Shepard said, he activated his Omni-tool and began to work the controls, neglecting the question of how he knew what to do, and merely doing it. Once he began to navigate through the tools and functions, he found something called the extranet. Whatever it was, it sounded like something that he could use to get information.

So he tapped the icon and he began to see some unusual images and links to electronic sites. Although the Arbiter was not going to pretend to understand it all, he could pick out certain things that may be important or of some relevance to his needs. After tinkering around for a bit, he found a searching engine, so he decided to search for all known alien races in the galaxy. The next few moments and a whole flurry of images and videos and informational pages began to result. He pushed aside most of the things and found what he deemed to be an adequate source. It contained images and labels for each.

The one he knew about instantly was human. The other human-like alien were called Asari, and apparently, they were a mono-gendered species, which led him to question how they reproduced. Maybe they did so through some form of mating, but they might also do some form of a mind connection. It might seem outrageous, but the only reason that he thought of it was because he recalled early memories of Forerunner artifacts and temples gleaming information regarding how to reproduce without having to initiate any sort of intimacy. By connecting the minds, reproduction could be done. Curious to see it in action. They were the first to discover the Citadel and one of the species holding a seat on the council.

The next species, Drell, possessed similar body structure to that of humans: bipedal with two arms. Instead of skin, they had scales, and their eyes were very dark, which seemed to indicate a sort of inexplicable air to them. These species were originally from a dying planet and were evacuated by the council, but only several hundred thousand survive, which Thel considered to be endangered, which meant that they were a minor race.

There was a species called the Turians, and Thel could see the makings of warriors. Their bodies, their faces, their postures. It appeared that the Turians, like the Sangheili were warriors by nature, following a strict life of military honor and discipline. Although still not as physically large or strong as Sangheili, they were still one of the most influential and powerful species in the galaxy, having a strong and massive fleet. Thel would keep these ones in mind. He might find their company the easiest to connect to next to humans. They were also the holders of one of the seats on the council, obtaining it after the Asari.

There were Salarians, like the Drell, were amphibious in nature. They were the source of great knowledge and learning, for they possessed a quick mind and sharp wits, faster than that of virtually all species in the galaxy, but in exchange, they lived a short lifespan, most living no more than forty years. Most were scientists, but some were capable warriors as well. They were the third race to gain a seat

There was the Volus, an unusal species that was squat and short, like the Unggoy, but also fat. They were the second race to discover the Citadel, and they were the most prominent in the business and financial industries. However, they clearly were no soldiers, as Thel looked at the image. An Unggoy could probably do far better than that of a Volus. That was probably the reason why for all of their influence, they held no seat on the council.

The Hanar were some of the strangest, appearing to have no legs or arms, but tentacles instead, and appearing to have no head. It looked like a delicate pink body. They appeared to have no sort of incredible achievements or feats recorded. They seemed to merely be a part of the Citadel Council.

The Elcor were much the same, a species not very special in any sort of way and looked to be merely understanding and interacting with the galactic community in general, so Thel could not count on them for anything.

And finally, there were the Humans. Although in a different galaxy, the Arbiter still saw the same traits, the same struggles, the same of everything in the Alliance humans and that of the UNSC humans, at least in part. If he had to compare the two in battle, the UNSC humans would fight the superior fight. The humans of the UNSC were innovative, strong, motivated, and determined.

These were the official species of the Citadel Council, but Thel was not naive enough to believe that no species did not exist outside of this government, so he began to broaden his search, sparing no details.

The first species to come up were a nomadic and exiled race known as Quarians. Apparently, some several hundred years ago, they had created the race now called Geth. These Geth were intentionally created to serve the Quarians and help them build and create. Apparently, the Geth rebelled and the Quarians were driven from their homeland, being forced to wander the galaxy in ships centuries old. Thel would read more of this, but it was certainly a species with an intriguing story.

There were the Geth, a robotic artificial intelligence race that were created originally as virtual intelligences by the Quarians, but evolved over time as the Quarians began to upgrade their software. They rebelled and now they controlled the former homeworld of the Quarians. They refused contact with any organic species period. They, too, were something that the Arbiter would look into later.

After reading about all of these species, Thel could instantly see a pattern. All of the known races in the galaxy had at one point or another made some sort of contact with the Citadel. If all the space-faring races ended up here, then they probably had similar if not the same technology and the same level. This could not just happen by mere coincidence, as the chances of that were next to impossible. They had to have developed from the same basis, and that immediately jumped his suspicion. It was so convenient and obvious. Whoever originally created all of this probably did so with an intent: to be able to control easily, and possibly destroy easily, and right now, the Reapers were only culprit. He could only guess that Shepard was aware of this piece of information.

Shepard. That woman reminded him about the Spartan. They were both dedicated to the cause that they served, but while the Spartan's loyalty to his cause likely rooted from living in the UNSC all of his life, Shepard seemed liked the one to join the cause because of a sense of righteousness. She carried that fire in her emerald eyes, the kind that could potentially strike fear into the minds of those who believed themselves immune to fear. The Arbiter had come to see her a sort of paragon of good, as humans would say. She was selfless. willing to sacrifice herself if it saved the lives of others. That probably accounted especially for those that she worked with. Not only did her eyes say much about her, but her expressions in general. Although Thel had been fairly critical of Shepard on Mars, it was for a reason. He knew now that he could at least trust her on the battlefield. She was a strong and capable warrior, although still not quite yet at his pace yet. He might just have to remedy that.

Now that he was finished with his mulling, he now was in search of something else to do, and one began to eat at his mind: weapons. He had left most of his weapons aboard the _Normandy_, locked away in a private locker that the Arbiter had personally requested to store his items. He carried only a single energy sword and a concealed plasma pistol. He needed weapons, and he was certainly not opposed to requisitioning some, and now that he thought of it, he wondered why he never bothered to just liberate weapons from those Cerberus humans. He would have to get some, but there was one small problem: if he was going to get them here, he would need some credits, as he had heard some humans use in conversation. It was the galactic standard form of currency. He did not have such a thing, and he did not know how he would ever earn much in the first place. He would have to wait for the next battlefield.

Thel took a look around him to notice the area he was in. It appeared to be some sort of, what did humans call it, night clubs or bars? The kinds that had all sorts of shady characters, all with weapons and unknown intents at the moment. Add that to the sight of various females dancing for the pleasure of males made for an uneasy Sangheili. Of all the places to be and he wound up here, in a place of rather low standards. It would appear that the Forerunners were not watching over him. He would never come to a place like this on his own doing. Alcohol and Sangheili did not go hand-in-hand, and prostitution was something Thel viewed as less than acceptable. He needed to leave this place before he did anything idiotic.

Then his attention was shifted to an alien, one with large shoulders and a large build. Thel, for a brief second, racked his mind for the species name, which he came to remember as Krogan. They were one of the dying races in the galaxy, banned for overpopulation and challenging the council and suffering the consequences. The Krogan Rebellion was that the conflict was called, lasting over three-hundred years, a rather long war, Apparently now, Krogans were mercenaries with tough and arrogant attitudes, at least if the extranet sources said. Thel did not trust them for one moment, but looking at this alien being rather threatening to the Turian operating the bar looked like reason enough for him to intervene, firstly, to stop an unnecessary beating that would result. Secondly, to make sure that no more lives were lost. Even one could make a difference. Third and finally, to see if he could test a Krogan's recorded endurance and skills.

He would turn back at any other time, but there were new rules, ones that the Arbiter was not even where they came from.

"I'm not going to ask again," the Krogan said, "hand it over."

"The hell," the Turian said, "you think that you can just demand something because you're a Krogan?"

"Yeah, I do," the Krogan said menacingly. "now give it to me, or would you rather tell it to my shotgun barrel."

As Thel approached the scene, the Turian caught sight of his form and looked rather pale now, and also frozen. If he was fearful before, he might have just found an even worse one.

The Krogan must mistakenly interpreted this change of emotion due to his actions.

"Coming to your senses now," the Krogan challenged.

"No," the Turian whispered, "just scared shitless about what's behind you."

"Nice try, Turian," the Krogan retorted, "but I'm not falling for that one."

The Turian shifted to a new tactic.

"Oh, I'm counting on it," the Turian said, still carrying a terrified look.

The Turian scoffed a bit, but still turned to face the Arbiter, and for a moment, he sensed surprise from the Krogan, but nothing else. Well, at least he was fighting someone with courage.

"Well, I'll be damned," the Krogan whistled, "didn't think they got any bigger."

The tone was just speculation, nothing more, nothing less, and Thel surmised that this Krogan was about as tall as that of the Spartan, tall enough to actually be considered a real physical threat

"Cease this nonsense," the Arbiter boomed.

Already, a crowd had gathered around them.

"And what if I don't? You gonna stop me," the Krogan shot back.

"Yes," Thel deadpanned.

The Krogan did not waste a second, charging first. The Arbiter merely squared away to face the brunt. He could have easily evaded the expected charge, but he stayed his ground and grabbed the Krogan's arms with his longer arms. They both engaged in a deadlocked fight to see who carried superior strength, and Thel had to admit that these Krogan put up more of a fight than normal humans did, but strength could easily be negatable in a fight. Thel put a burst of energy into his arms and threw the Krogan back, his foe, unbalanced, skidded a few meters back before coming to a halt. Thel closed the distance before his foe could properly recover. Thel slammed his closed fist into the Krogan's head. The blow was heavy, but the Krogan still stood. The Krogan followed up with a head but that connected with his upper armored torso, but his armor and natural toughness reduced the effect of the strike.

They both split, the area around them having been already cleared away as speculators watched on. They both charged, neither willing to back down, but Thel knew he already carried the speed advantage, even with strength and endurance seemingly even. They got into another brawl, this time, beginning to increase their strikes. Thel began to do some more dodging and some more strikes, evading the Krogan, but the Krogan was persistent if anything. Another underhand came from the Arbiter, connecting with the head. He just had to keep doing this.

He began to press his offensive; unleashing some strikes at his head, forcing the Krogan back. The strikes at the head were meant to be a distraction, and Thel then sent a kick that caused the Krogan to fall flat on his back and back a few meters.

Standing victorious, but knowing that the Krogan was far from over, he stepped over his opponent, letting his full height show.

"Leave now," the Arbiter demanded, "I will not ask a second time. And do not think about attacking me, because I will defeat you again, and I will continue to do so until you are dead or you flee. The choice is yours."

The Krogan seemed to weigh his options, then spoke.

"You're not worth the effort anyway," he mumbled as he made his way through the crowd.

Speaking of the crowd, the Arbiter turned his head to scan the room, all eyes on him. He needed to defuse this.

"As you all were," he said in his most commanding voice.

Everyone seemed to get the message immediately and resumed whatever they were doing prior. With that out of the way, the Arbiter walked to the bartender, who greeted him.

"I owe you for that one," the Turian said, "thanks for your help."

"There is no need to thank me," the Arbiter said simply.

"No," the Turian said, "I have to thank you. Damn Krogan's taking his rage about the genophage on the nearest Turian."

Thel did not know what the Turian was speaking of, but he nodded.

"How about I pay you for your trouble," he said, reaching into his pocket and retrieving something, a small item. "Will credits do?"

Thel paused. One of his problems being answered. He should decline, but the Turian offered, and it was always customary to simply accept.

"I thank you for this," he said humbly.

**Wasn't that fun? Don't know what I was thinking, but I figure that a fight with a Krogan ought to be somewhat of a challenge. I did a bit of research, and I believe the Krogans and Sangheili to be evenly match in terms of physical endurance and strength, but the Sangheili seem to be more nimble and skilled. Hope it was at least somewhat entertaining.**

**In terms of the brief race profiles, I did my homework as well as watch videos. As I've mentioned before, I'm still relatively new to the Mass Effect universe, so after the Citadel, the story is going to go a different route from the game once I've done enough research**

**Anyway, REVIEW. They keep this story going. Thanks for the twenty plus reviews last chapter! Keep it up. As always, tell me the goods and bads. Please do tell me if my grammar sucks. Keep forgetting to check for it.**

**In other news, there may be two chapters coming out next week. Not sure, but I'll see. Maybe for the end-of-the-year break, I'll add an extended chapter. **

**Hope you all enjoyed. Next time, Shepard hears about the Arbiter's little showdown. Peace!**


	12. Chapter 12: Newcomer Intrigue

Chapter 12: Newcomer Intrigue

**Serpent Nebula, Citadel**

** Mission to rally Council**

** March 7, 2186**

** 1537 Hours**

** Arbiter P.O.V**

That was interesting to say the least. The Arbiter had certainly not been expecting that to happen, but now his problems were solved in one go. He now had the proper currency to get some basic weapons from the stores. Perhaps now, the Forerunners were watching over him, or maybe it was luck, or maybe it was none of these. He was not one to thoroughly examine, only taking what was given to him. If it did nothing to affect him or those of his comrades, then he was better off not questioning it.

The Arbiter glanced at the credit chit in his hand. He had done a quick check with his Omni-tool to see how much he had. He found several thousand already on it. He did not know if that was good or bad, but it was something to begin with. He would have to remain on guard to get more. It was strange, being involved in something so ordinary. The Arbiter really had no use for currency of any kind in most of his lifetime. It was a certainty something new for him, having to decide what uses he had for currency. It was very strange indeed.

As he wandered, he came by a strange-looking transparent female Human. She was some sort of intelligence, but whether she was a virtual intelligence or an artificial intelligence was not clear. His curiosity piqued, he walked over and thought of the most obvious question that came to mind.

"Thank you for using Avine," she said in a really pleasant voice, "I do not detect the species nor the name of the individual standing."

Thel ignored this and asked his question. Far too many complications than he cared to deal with.

"What is this place," he asked.

"This is the central ward, where weapons, armor, and other items of importance to the Alliance."

This was most definitely an virtual intelligence. The voice was a dead giveaway, but the way she spoke and the way she did not further question his species was the other indication. Perhaps and artificial intelligence would be wasted here. Now that he thought of it, he had not seen any artificial intelligences anywhere, the only ones being that Human-looking Cerberus robot and EDI onboard the _Normandy_ _SR2_. What was the reason for this? For a civilization this advanced, they had to have the ability to create such constructs, and yet they seemed to be none around. Maybe this question was better asked from someone who knew more about this subject, so Thel decided to move on.

"What else is sold here," he questioned further.

"Other items of non-military uses are sold, including but not limited to ingredients for food, software, video games, and other various consumer items," she answered fully. "Other items of non-military use are sold in the lower levels, all certified and legal."

Some of these things Thel did not really know too well, as he had never been really exposed to civilian life, be it the Sangheili, Human, or any other species, but the terms themselves were familiar to him. He had heard the Humans on the battlefield use it on more than one occasion. That got some more questions triggered in his head, things that set him off guard.

Now he was no longer interested in asking about the Citadel, so he decided to bring this "conversation" to a halt.

"Is there anything else worth noting," he continued.

"Several bars and clubs are within the vicinity," Avina spoke, "but all species are warned to follow regulations and safety rules as a precaution for their own safety."

At this point, there was nothing that this VI could speak of that was interesting or important, so Thel left it, not bothering to look back.

As he passed by certain vendors, he took note of the items that were being sold. He was in the area where military personnel might buy armor. From the looks of it, weapons of all sorts were being sold. While watching what each vendor sold, he was also careful to note the faces and expressions of each person at the stores. He did his best to read them, but the only ones he could read were Humans and Asari. None of the other species were as easy, so he stuck to some body movements and other subtle things in order to get an idea.

It seemed that everyone on the Citadel dressed rather formally, or at least wore very similar designs of formal attire, which Thel did not really have too much of a problem with. All Sangheili dressed similarly to one another in order to maintain a state of humility and consideration for everyone else. No one really cared to be a braggart on Sanghelios, and it was due to their warriors tradition as well as their honor. Here, though, that was probably not the case, as some of theses species were clearly not fit to be warriors. Well, he should not expect much from these aliens in the first place, but he did. High expectations were the thing that he always searched for.

Maybe Commander Shepard would have an opinion about what to purchase. The notion of asking for help irritated him at first, but he soon came to a more pragmatic conclusion. He knew next to nothing about weapons here, and the second best way next to actually testing weapons in battle was to ask someone who knew their way around weapons. Maybe it did not bother him so much to ask for help as it was to ask Shepard specifically. Why ask her? Why not ask one of her other teammates? They could probably help out just as much as she could. Thel would be more likely to ask her because she played a more important role than that of those who worked with her, not that they were incompetent. That was the only reason to ask her at all, of course.

Thel sighed. This was going to be a serious blow to his pride, and he disliked when his pride was seriously challenged like this, but what if his pride got him killed? He would be of no use to anyone dead. Perhaps he could let this one be ignored just once. Once he knew what he needed and had enough experience, he would not ask Shepard to help. Besides, weapons only could do so much for a warrior. Weapons are only effective with the right individual, one with skill and training.

That still did not stop him from entering into certain stores just to see what they sold. Whoever was manning the desks and counters looked to him, sort of fearful, but still trying to remain composed and friendly. Should he try to talk to them?

He hesitated at the doorway to one store, but his slight movement triggered something audible to activate.

_"I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store."_

Unexpected was the only thing that came to mind for the Sangheili, but not terribly surprising. Shepard was the kind of person that was good to the very core, and sought to help others in any way possible. Having her voice at the entrance to a store could easily garner some attention from potential purchasers. Shepard would do something of this nature. It was as clear to the Arbiter as daylight that despite her career and her skills, at her very center, she had the interests of the well-being of others. She wanted to do things for others and not for herself. It was a respectable and honorable thing to do. Few people had the ability to muster that level of compassion and understanding, and Shepard seemed to do it easily, or maybe she just did it by instinct.

_But she is still naive, _Thel thought. _and she will be until she expereiences. She may speak with understanding. but not full understanding._

Thel decided that maybe bypassing this store was the best thing to do. If Shepard was a well-known figure as the Arbiter believed her to be, it would take long for someone in the stores, particularly the ones she endorsed, to figure out that he had some connection to her.

**Shepard P.O.V.**

Shepard had taken the time to visit around, seeing if anything had changed ever since her last visit to the Citadel. So far, nothing had changed. A few of the stores that had personal endorsements from her were still standing and playing that message. It may have been a problem that she had endorsed multiple stores, but she wanted to help them out as much as possible.

She was surprised that many of the _ Normandy SR2's_ original crew were now Alliance or had broken away from Cerberus. She had turned herself and the ship in as a sign of good faith. Shepard had never expected the crew to have a sudden change of heart. but maybe they had a reason to. The Illusive Man was not once what he use to be. He had to be stopped. Maybe the former Cerberus crew knew of this, and maybe not.

The commander had visited Doctor Chakwas. It was good catching up with the doctor. She had always been there for them all when they needed it.

Apart from that, she had taken to the stores. She needed some new gear. The standard Alliance gear was good, but she needed better equipment to fight the Reapers, the best possible. She could just use her position as a Council Spectre to pull in some favors or get discounts at the various stores around the Citadel. Now would be just about the best time, and plus, she was saving the galaxy.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she passed by a group talking. Normally, the conversation wouldn't be anything that she didn't know about, but this time, it was something she didn't know about.

"You hear what happened in the bar," the Salarian said, "heard a Krogan got spooked by some alien we've never seen."

That made Shepard pause. She stopped and stood where she was, listening in. She wondered if they were talking about someone she knew about.

"Heard it," a Turian replied, "also saw a video. That thing was gigantic. stood taller than a Krogan. Never seen a species like it either."

Shepard instantly knew. She had never seen any race taller than a Krogan, except for the Sangheili, as she recalled, and there was only one she knew about. Against her better instinct, she decided to ask about the conversation.

"Excuse me," she interjected, "did you say alien larger than a Krogan?"

"Yeah," the Turian said, "you heard?"

"Might have," she responded, "did he have silver armor?"

"One in the same," the Turian confirmed.

Before she knew it, she was rushing away. She needed to find the Arbiter. The last thing she had expected him to do was get in a fight with a Krogan. He seemed far too reserved and disciplined for that, which meant that Krogan had to have done something really bad to set him off. That was probably the reason. She was so caught up in a sort of worry and preoccupation that she didn't notice the Arbiter, nor did he notice her. Their collision was rather annoying for both.

Shepard looked irritated, only to find the Arbiter with...an expression she couldn't quite read, but his movement suggested irritation.

"Shepard," he said.

"Arbiter," she replied, "did you get into a fight with a Krogan?"

"Yes," he stated bluntly, "but I had good reason to do so."

"We don't go around picking fights," she explained, "we've got more important things to do."

"I did not begin the fight. I merely diffused the situation in order to defend someone else. Would you not do the same?"

She sighed.

"Yes," she agreed, "but please be more careful when going around the Citadel. C-Sec isn't known for being understanding. They might think you're trying to make a fight intentionally."

"Do we have more important things to attend to than this petty argument," the Arbiter said annoyingly.

"Yes," Shepard answered, "we're going to see the Citadel Council."

"Are they to be trusted," the Arbiter warned, "this Citadel, it seems all too surreal, too peaceful, too far away from the battles. They do not understand the threat because they are not witnessing it with their own eyes."

"They're politicians," Shepard explained, "do you really expect them to be understanding of what soldiers do?"

"I expect them to be realistic," the Sangheili said, "and they are not if they continue to only maintain their own borders."

"Which is why we're here," Shepard continued, "we're here to convince them to unite. The Reapers are going to hit everyone. Sooner or later, they're going to have to realize that we'll be more effective united than split."

"Then I pray that they realize it in time," the Arbiter grumbled, "because I do not have faith in them."

"Do you have faith in me," Shepard asked abruptly.

He didn't answer, and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to do so because he was considering. Shepard watched and waited. Even when in thought, his eyes didn't leave hers, and for some reason, Shepard didn't really need an answer. His eyes gave away that he did, on some level, have faith in her abilities, and for that, she was grateful enough.

"Let us be done with this," the Arbiter said quietly.

**General P.O.V**

Their walk to the Council chambers was quiet, but not awkward in any way. She passed by Bailey again, who gave her a quick acknowledgement and then resumed. As they walked into the chambers, the Arbiter took note of everything in the chamber. The fact that not too many people were here and that the chamber was uselessly large irritated him. It seemed like a waste, but he was not here to judge this. He was here to see how this Citadel Council would react, what they would do in response to Shepard's reports.

Shepard, on the other hand, had things to say, a lot of things to say. There was going to be a lot of talk. With the Council, there always was a lot to talk about. So many angles, so many loopholes, so many regulations. If there was one thing that she hated a lot was playing politician. Why could they not just get to the point? It would certainly make her job easier.

Or on second thought, her career or her life had never been easy to begin with. The commander cursed mentally. Just her luck, right?

On the far side of the room, all the Councilors were assembled and Liara stood on the platform, going over the schematics for the Prothean device. Shepard had reviewed them herself, and so far, it looked very promising, and it might as well be the last hope the galaxy was riding on. If this didn't work…

"Earth is not our concern, Udina," the Turian Councilor, "we've got our own problems to deal with."

The Arbiter growled audibly, and he did not bother to hide it. Everyone turned their heads towards the two coming towards. Shepard stood by Liara, while the Arbiter towered over them both, looking incredibly aggravated. The councilors seemed just as aggravated if not more than he was. The silence was filled with tension. Shepard knew that technically speaking, this was a sort of breach. these talks weren't meant to be heard by many people, and the Arbiter, to them, was an unknown. The stares lingered for a time before turning into words.

"Commander," Udina crossed his arms, "I would ask that your...companion leave."

"I will not," the Arbiter said, "and no one, Human, Asari, Turian, or Salarian, is going to force me. You can force me to leave when I am dead."

The tension rose to the point where Shepard could swear that it practically choking that atmosphere. If the councilors were angry before, it paled in comparison to this moment. Everyone seemed just about ready to run their mouths, so Shepard did the only thing she could.

"You summoned me," she interrupted.

The councilors refocused their attention to the spectre, their expressions pointing some blame at her, and Shepard simply accepted it, but it was too late to be apologizing or going back. There were here now.

"Yes," Udina finally replied, "as I was saying, the Reapers hit Earth. We're facing the majority of the Reaper's forces."

"That doesn't make you any more special," Valern argued, "the Reapers are hitting our own worlds as well."

"We stand no chance unless we unite," Shepard interjected, "We need your help, now more than ever."

"We cannot simply simply leave our homeworlds completely defenseless to the Reapers helping Earth," councilor Tevos said calmly, "The Reapers are attacking us all."

"We have to unite," Udina said, this time forcefully.

"Would our combined fleets, if we commit to it, be enough fight the Reapers," Spartacus questioned Shepard.

"The fleets will keep the Reapers at bay, but the fleets are not the only thing we have," Shepard said, "We have something else that can defeat the Reapers,"

Motioning to Liara, the Asari began to pull up her Omni-tool, revealing the blueprints to the device, extracted from that AI body.

"Councilors, we believe that we've found a device that can effectively destroy the Reaper threat."

"And what is it exactly," Spartacus asked.

"A weapon," Liara tapped a few controls, "one that the Protheans were creating and trying to use."

"The Protheans were driven to extinction by the Reapers," Tevos added, "what makes you think this device can defeat the Reapers."

"The device works," Liara affirmed, "but the Protheans never completed construction of the device."

"Do you truly believe that this will work," Spartacus questioned again.

A slight movement caused Shepard to look behind her. From his mandibles and his eyes, the Arbiter was not liking this conversation one bit. If anything, he was just about ready let loose, and that was what Shepard was worried about. The alien was many things, and being blunt to the point of no restraint was one of those qualities. She needed to diffuse the situation before things got out of hand.

"Liara believes it will work, and I've reviewed the device," Shepard spoke, "and we can build it, if we receive your help."

She paused to let this sink in before continuing.

"If we can't unite, then all of our hope is lost. As much as Udina and I aren't always on the same accord, he's right now. If we don't stop the Reapers, no one else will or can, and all life will die."

Shepard watched and waited. There was the physical proof that the council was forced to acknowledge, the Prothean device, all of it personally vouched from her, the Human Spectre that they appointed. It should have been enough. It should have convinced their minds. It should have caused them to unite, and it should have done so in an instant, but this was not the reality that set in. Shepard could see the councilors silently communicating with each other, and the silence was a dead giveaway that this still wasn't enough. What now?

Before anyone could say another word, the Arbiter beat them to the punch.

"You could throw all of the most irrefutable evidence and the opinions of the most respected individuals in the galaxy to theses insufferable fools, and you would yield absolutely no results."

Shepard cursed under her breath. This wasn't what she wanted to happen, but she doubted that she could stop the Arbiter now. If he was going to say something, he wouldn't let anyone get in his way.

"And who are you exactly," councilor Tevos asked, her voice calm, but betraying her hint of being slandered.

"Arbiter of the Sangheili" he deadpanned, "leader of my people."

"We've never seen your species before," Valern joined in, "and you have no idea what we're up against."

"I see enough," the Arbiter reverberated, "The Reapers are a threat to this galaxy, and yet you hide in fear from them rather than facing it head on. This is precisely what the Reapers are manipulating you into doing. By dividing yourselves, you leave ourselves open to attack, and the Reapers clearly have the superior technology. Refusing to unite will only result in systematic extinction of all species. Only numbers and unity will give a chance of victory and survival. Do you truly believe that you can protect your own borders single-handedly, or are you using the excuse of self-defense as a means to conceal the fear of a threat unlike any ever faced before? Do you hide in fear that everything that you have will be brought to ruins by this war? Is there a personal stake in this? What good are any ambitions without a galaxy?"

For the first time in a long time in two years, Shepard could see the council was in a state of silence. Udina seemed more surprised than shocked. Clearly, he wasn't really aware of the situation on Earth, at least nothing pertaining to Shepard's reinstatement or the Arbiter joining the team. Spartacus seemed a bit more critical, but there was a hint of admiration. Tevos remained neutral, but she was anything but mentally. Valern looked to be a bit more than angered. Shepard turned to look at the Arbiter, whose eyes were narrowed and burning with quite the intensity. There was definitely no stopping him now, nor did Shepard desire to stop him. He had done some of her job for her.

The Arbiter still had more to say.

"The galaxy will never be the same again, but would you prefer there be no galaxy at all to return to. What happens to one link in the chain can have profound consequences to the to other links. A single weak link can break the chain of the civilizations of the galaxy. You must unite or there is no hope of survival. Now is the time to call in question if you are truly loyal to your race, and if you are, then you know that to ensure that there is a future for them, then you will have to unite."

Okay, so not exactly very reassuring, but there was some room to interpret hope. He was effectively giving them a choice, but would this be enough to change their minds?

The long silence was broken finally when Tevos, albeit reluctantly and with obvious resignation, decided to speak

"Shepard, we fully understand your teammate's reason and logic," Tevos began.

"Now hold on-" Valern interrupted.

"However," Tevos soundly ignored her fellow councilor, "we must ensure that our borders are safe before we can lend aid to the Human fleets. I'm sorry, commander, but this is all we can do."

No one spoke, not even the Arbiter, but he was done speaking. He had said what he needed to say, and whether it was visible or not, all of councilors had taken his words into heavy consideration. Although they had not given any means of help, they had at least given a better window of opportunity, but it would not be enough, at least not yet.

The Arbiter was also frustrated because while claiming that they needed to defend their borders, there was another underlying message in that reason. The Arbiter could understand the loyalty of any race to their homeworld and their race, but this was much different. If the council were struggling to defend their own borders, then clearly they were subtly calling for help, and only after others did the duty that should have fell to them would they help. Did the Citadel Council hold themselves in such high arrogance? Humbling them not only felt satisfying, but now it was justified in the Arbiter's mind.

"I see," the commander said. She was not happy with this turnout either. No one in the room was satisfied, not even slightly. No one had reason to be.

**Apologies for the late chapter. I won't bother with the excuses or reason. You don't want to listen to me complain. Anyway. REVIEW! Tell me what went well and what could have been better. Any ideas for the story can be voiced in a PM. I strongly recommend that no one write their story ideas on their review. My preference, but not mandatory.**

**In other news, I'm considering a new Xover idea, like Assassin's Creed/Halo. For more information about that, check out my profile. **

**Hope you all enjoyed reading. I promise that the next chapter will be a bit more lengthy as this was a short chapter by my standards. Thanks for reading, and remember, people can only influence you, but they don't decide who you are.**

**Peace!**


	13. Chapter 13: Hard Luck

**Disclaimer: I do not own Halo or Mass Effect. They are the property of 343 Industries and Bioware respectively.**

Chapter 13: Hard Luck

**Serpent Nebula, Citadel**

** March 7 2186**

** Mission to rally council**

** 1723 Hours**

** Shepard P.O.V.**

This was most definitely not a good day, not a good day indeed.

Commander Jane Shepard was now caught. It was bad enough that the councilors were not going to provide aid immediately, but then the Arbiter spoke, and while Shepard thought for once it might be justified, she immediately retracted that thought. Now, she was left to deal with this mess. Far be it for the Arbiter to make the situation all the more difficult, but she couldn't fault him for speaking his mind, and he had brought up truth to his argument, even if harshly. The fact that no one could really argue or respond soundly against his words was further proof of the effect, but Shepard didn't doubt for a moment that the councilors wouldn't change. Change rarely ever happened instantly.

Shepard knew that this was not boding well with any of the councilors, even if the truth was spoken, so that was why Shepard was in Councilor Udina's office, listening to the man rant and rave, and at the moment, Udina was actually outraged and angry for the same reasons that Shepard was, and at the time, it had seemed like.

"Shepard," Undina said, "I really don't appreciate it when your teammates burst out in front of the council, even with reasoning."

"I can't control the Arbiter very well, despite my every attempt," Shepard replied, "and he's not exactly someone I can trust fully, at least not yet. He can shoot a gun and take down our enemies, and that's what's important. His actions speak louder than his words."

"Well," the councilor shook his head, "you might want to find a way to muzzle him at times. Our relations with the other races is strained enough as it is. Humanity is the lowest member on the council, and our every action is watched."

"I understand that, Udina," she sighed, "but it won't be exactly easy. The Arbiter's not exactly known for his restraint. He will speak his mind."

"And he speaks the truth," a voice said, "but we can't simply give up our homeworlds for Earth. Our people must come first."

The sound of a familiar voice led Shepard's eyes to trace it back to the source: Councilor Spartacus.

"Councilor Spartacus," Shepard nodded, "do you require something?"

"Yes and no," he said evenly, "our fleets across the galaxy are countering Reaper forces at every step.

**00000000000000000000**

**Arbiter P.O.V**

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong indeed.

That sudden burst of anger, that speech he made, everything he said, it was from his mind, what he knew, what he truthfully felt, but simultaneously, he felt compelled to say the words, not really by his own will, and that was what had him concerned, but not frightened.

What could he possibly attribute his sudden erratic attitudes and outbursts to? Thel did not know. He should have let the council discover their folly the challenging way, let them die and realize their mistake, but part of him did not want races to suffer the horrible fate that would result from their inaction. He had to do something, even if they were not his species, regardless of this fact, no species deserved to be subjected to mass extinction, not unless they were a threat to other species as well. He should not care as much as he did, but it was the same struggle with the same mortal beings and a seemingly unstoppable force.

Focus. He certainly did not come here to play politics, but to fight Reapers, or Cerberus, or anyone who served the Reapers.

He needed to find a better way to unleash his frustration at his situation. Being trapped like he was, he found much comfort in the heat of battle, and these new enemies, despite a new technological basis, they were still the same enemies.

The Arbiter could not shake this uneasy feeling that something was wrong with him. He had thought that maybe it was just his nerves being worked up, that he was ever-so vigilant when it came to new species, a new galaxy, and yet the same enemies. That was what he thought it to be.

But that was not what this was.

This was something else. For some unsettling reason, he found himself wandering back to the past more and more, thinking about the Human-Covenant War. He remembered the details of most of his campaigns during the war. It was all the same: humans with a desire to protect themselves, to protect their homes and the people living in it, and to make the Covenant's mission of their genocide all that more difficult. The battles that could ravage across a single planet could potentially set back the Covenant by a lot. Many soldiers were lost, sometimes by the tens of millions, all in a single campaign on one planet, not to mention the loss of artillery, ships, and vehicles. The Prophets, though knowing that they possessed superior technology, they knew just as well that the Covenant was suffering losses and that the humans were an enemy that would not be trifled with.

The Arbiter thought to his times as a shipmaster, watching ships burn from his plasma fire, watching ships get ripped to shreds by human MAC guns, how ships seemed to completely fill the black with either their own mass or that of either projectiles or plasma. He would watch, he would wait for targets, and he would use his tactical knowledge and smarts to outwit his enemies, and most of the time, his fleets won without too many casualties.

And throughout the entirety of the war, he did not feel much regret for any of those deaths. Certainly, he took no pleasure in killing humans, but he did not despise the idea either. He regretted sacrificing so many lives for a war that could have been avoided, not in the sense that killing was wrong, but that such a species with a warrior's spirit had to be put down. Pity that the humans could not be allies with the Covenant from the start. Things might have been better had the two sides not come to blows. Now it was pointless to wonder for what might have been. The only thing to do now was look forward.

He had no explanation for these behaviors, and that was why he was spending time wandering the Citadel, and he was no closer to an answer than he was before. What he could say was that he might be relating his times of war to the times ahead, but suffice it to say that it was not a good reason.

_Why must I dwell on these thoughts? I am Sangheili. I am Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and I will not allow myself to weaken myself. No more of these foolish thoughts._

His mandibles tightly packed together, he began to make his way to the _Normandy_. He was not in the mood to humor any more of these stares that he had been constantly receiving. Thel required time to prepare himself for battle, and only the _Normandy _could remotely provide him with the atmosphere he required for preparation.

Looking around at his surroundings to find that no one was in view, he retreated to a secluded corner before activating his active camouflage, silently, but rapidly making his way through the Citadel, pausing only to check his HUD map had him going in the right direction. This was far better than being noticed. The notoriety he was receiving was also one of the most unnecessary things next to the Citadel Council's lack of courage.

**00000000000000000000**

**Kaidan P.O.V.**

The Major was busy making off with whatever he could carry. Although the _Normandy_ had lots of weapons and gear, he was still scouting around the market areas just in case the Citadel happened to have sales or special items that could be especially useful to him or the team. They all needed the best gear possible. The Reapers were not going to give up any ground without a serious fight.

So what had he gotten? A few modifications for his armor as well as some gun mods, primarily armor-piercing because they would be facing more and more synthetic enemies, but the thought of fighting organics wasn't lost on his mind. Cerberus was just one of their many enemies, and who knows what those xenophobic bastards were up to now. They may be only human, but Cerberus was anything but weak.

That was at least where part of his mind was, but there was something else on his mind: Jane Shepard.

He would by lying to himself if he said things were cool between them, because things weren't cool between them. Between the events from Horizon to the Mars mission, he was beginning to question where their relationship stood, or in the worst case scenario, if it even stood at all. Those two years she had been gone, it had been tough, and he had struggled to move on, but life didn't wait for him, so he threw himself into his duty and pride: being a soldier for the System Alliance. It kept his mind off the most important person in his entire life, but when she showed up, he was beyond shocked to see her alive and well, but when she said the word Cerberus, things between them wouldn't be the same.

Was this all his fault? Maybe it was. Shepard had been very bitter on the Mars mission, and not once had she shown any of the soft side that she use to show him, likely because of the things that he said to her. He didn't know what to say because as much as he cared for her, he couldn't just simply pretend that he liked the situation and the circumstances, but the commander was adamant about her not being associated with the pro-human group, and she had proven herself time and time again. It was time to put a bit more faith in her.

His thoughts were interrupted as his eyes spotted Lieutenant Vega. Thankful for the distraction, he immediately walked up, arms still full. When James saw him holding the stuff, he didn't think much of it.

"Shopping," he guessed.

"Not the word I'd use," Kaidan responded, "but call it what you like. And what are you doing?"

"Nothing now," James shrugged, "but I kind of feel wrong being here on the Citadel. I need to be out there fighting. This place is only reminding me of the reality out there."

Kaidan nodded in understand.

"We'll make it through this," the major said, "Shepard hasn't ever steered us wrong before."

"I don't doubt Shepard's abilities," James said immediately, "but even with her skills, she's just one woman. She needs all the help that everyone can offer."  
>"Well, she certainly has an eye for talented combatants," Kaidan added.<p>

"Speaking of that," James said, "what do you think of that Arbiter guy?"

Kaidan paused. He could answer this in many ways.

Kaidan never had a problem with the alien species of the galaxy. He didn't judge by species. It was character and the individual that was what he looked for. He treated most alien like he would with any human, and he would even be willing to give his life for one. He had always believed in a greater galactic community and he believe in connecting with others.

This Arbiter that Shepard had picked was certainly an interesting character to say the least. He was clearly a warrior of many battles. His style of fighting was like nothing that he had ever seen before: graceful, deadly, practiced, and rapid.

In terms of character, he couldn't really be sure. He tended to act sort of coldly towards everyone, even Shepard, and she had done her best to remain as non-hostile as possible, and she had done a good job of that, seeing as the Arbiter did nothing but point out the flaws and weaknesses of everyone he spoke with. It was like he had to make a point of detailing each flaw of everyone around him, but he always had a reason for these, and that was in order to be stronger against the Reapers, and that was what was confusing. Why stick his neck out for a species he didn't know that well? Why tell them all of this?

Kaidan didn't really have an answer for all of these questions. He certainly wasn't any sort of mind-reader or a philosopher; he was a soldier who was trained to fight, so reading people wasn't his strong suit. He could only speculate in regards to the obvious facts and qualities someone possessed, and besides, it wasn't his job to do that. He left that task to people like Shepard.

"He's good for now," Kaidan finally responded, "and if he's fighting the Reapers, that's good enough for me, at least for now."

"I don't know," James shrugged, "he's good in a fight, but he didn't have to join us. I know Shepard has an eye for talented fighters and people, but I can't shake the feeling that something's off about that guy."

"What feeling," Kaidan asked.

"I get the feeling that there's more to that story of his than what he's saying," James continued, "but that's just me. He is a new alien after all, so maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions."

Kaidan decided to change the subject. They weren't getting anywhere in the conversation. It was basically blind guesses in the dark.

"Then how about you help me with this stuff," Kaidan replied, dumping some of the items into the lieutenant's hands.

"Not exactly how I planned to spend my time," James commented, "but sure."

**00000000000000000000**

**Shepard P.O.V.**

So much to do, and only she was capable of doing it.

Shepard was use to people relying on her to accomplish things, and now was no different. Her whole career had been riding on accomplishing seemingly impossible odds. Now, she just had to deal with an unstoppable sentient machine race who was slaughtering synthetics and organics alike. She had to save them all. She wanted to save them all, but she certainly wasn't going to do with the crew she had now. Four elite warriors wasn't enough. She needed a full fighting crew, and she needed it as soon as she could.

She had received her next mission from Councilor Spartacus, but he didn't explicitly say what he needed done. just hinted at it, but the indication was clear: each of the council races required assistance in securing the borders and fleets that they had in order to help Earth, but that didn't change the fact that they were not facing the main bulk of the Reaper forces. Humanity was still suffering the tougher end of the bargain, and like anyone would do, the councilors wouldn't help. Typical behavior right there, abandoning allies in order to protect themselves, but could Shepard fault them for thinking so? Were they merely looking out for their species? Was that it, or was that an excuse to hide behind? Shepard shook her head in frustration. Maybe it was both.

She wasn't suppose to be a politician even though she was practically playing one now, saving face all in the name of the Citadel Council in order to garner support for the war effort at Earth, and all the while, she was being forced to dance around the dangerous things called cameras and reporters looking to get her at every corner. Sure, Shepard supported being attentive to more than just the Alliance military and navy. She lived to serve the people, the ones who couldn't defend themselves and relied on her and other soldiers to protect them.

She didn't mind playing the hero for Humanity or for any other race living with citadel space, but she couldn't just reveal everything she wanted despite the temptations. She hated doing this, feeling like she was lying in a respect when in almost all cases, she was merely withholding information or telling only part of the truth. It was both a cruel and necessary evil, but all the justification in the galaxy would do nothing to convince Shepard that it felt wrong.

So what would she do? She would proceed with her plan to travelling to meet with all races that could provide help in what history would probably call the greatest battle in the history of the galaxy, but before she could go to battle, she needed to make a clean sweep and see if any allies were on board the Citadel now that her mission was clear as the black space, and she would start with the medical ward. She had a feeling someone just maybe a special doctor would be waiting for her.

Shepard picked up her pace almost sprinting. She was careful to maneuver and weave around people without losing speed or momentum, A few people stared after her, recognizing who she was, as she could hear her name being whispered.

A journey of several minutes led her to the medical ward. She stopped for a moment to take a breather before proceeding into the facility. The staff nodded her way and she did the same. A few doors and some listening led her to just the person she needed the most now.

Karin Chakwas was speaking with Chloe Michel. When the two women spotted her, they both turned to face her, both with faces of surprise and happiness. They flashed smiles at her, and she returned the gesture, alreading feeling just a little bit better.

"Commander Shepard," Dr. Chakwas said, "it's been a while."

"Good to see you too," Shepard replied, "and you as well Dr. Michel."

"Thank you commander," Dr. Michel said, "I suppose I should leave you two to talk."

With a nod to both of them, she left, and Shepard returned her attention to Dr. Chakwas.

"I'm surprised that the Alliance didn't have you arrested," Shepard commented.

"They considered it," Karin chuckled, "but in the end, they thought it would be better to just simply let me work than to waste my skills."

"I'm glad they didn't," Shepard continued, "because I have need of your services again. We're at war, and I could use your help."

"There's nothing I would like more," Karin responded, "life on the Citadel just isn't the same. The _Normandy_ is my home, and I'll gladly come back."

Shepard grinned a wide grin. It was just like old times, but then a thought popped into mind.

"Just thought you should know," Shepard said, "I've got a new face on the crew, like nothing we've ever seen before. A new alien race. You'll know who he is when you see him."

"A new race," Karin said, getting curious immediately, "do you know the species name?"

"Uh...Sangheili," Shepard struggled to say, "he's kind of stubborn when it comes to doctors and medical treatment, almost refused to be treated for his injuries, but he bleeds just like we do."

"I'll be sure to keep an eye out for him," Karin acknowledged, "I will see you on the _Normandy_."

"I'll see you shortly," Shepard said before turning to leave.

Shepard only now needed to check in with the crew before they took off on their little galactic-wide chase for council support.

"Commander Shepard, the people of the Citadel Alliance have questions," a familiar voice said.

Shepard gritted her teeth. Time for the painful questions that hit her hard.

**00000000000000000000**

A few reporters later and a persistent reporter practically begging to be stationed aboard the _Normandy_, the ship was now leaving the docks. It had taken far longer than Shepard wanted it to, and that was time wasted that could have been spent reaching their destinations and fighting the Reapers.

It had been a long day, and she needed rest. Everyone did, so those who were not needed had retreated to their quarters for the night. Shepard had done so as well. She had quickly spoken with all members of the crew, including the Arbiter, who was clearly just as eager to get down the fighting than she was. She had lectured him for about fifteen minutes in regards to the behaviors that she disapproved of, particularly that of speaking against the council, starting fights in the bars, and just being plain rebellious in general. He said nothing, and that made her even more annoyed. Those orange eyes only said one things to her: you opinion of me does not change how I will conduct myself, so you words are of no importance to me,

She decided that as long as he pointed his weapons at the enemy, than his "issues" would have to wait. Honestly, she had seen this kind of behavior before, and she knew how to deal with it. She just needed some time.

So it was with a great sigh that she settle into her bed and began to doze off, not bothering to even change into her sleep wear. She lost consciousness as soon as her head hit the pillow.

_There was a forest, but not the one that she would associate with calm and peaceful qualities. The leafless trees, their branches reaching out menacingly. had no leaves and there were none blowing in the wind or were scattered on the ground. The dark ground was bare and with barely any sort of color, just plain and dull. Not a single sound could be heard, and nothing was moving._

_Shepard shifted her focus to the right, then to the left, then up, then down. Still nothing to see. It was all so depressing, so sad, so...empty. It had to be the result of the Reaper's harvesting. Was this what this was? A vision?_

_Her eyes then caught something of interest: a figure moving, but she couldn't make out who or what it was. It was too rapid, and she couldn't even make it its shadow, but that didn't stop her from trying to catch up. Everything seemed so slow._

_Shepard then dimly realized that she was fully equipped in battle armor and with her weapons adorned on her back. Shrugging off this irrelevant information, she sprinted fast, but still felt slow simultaneously, trying to pursue the mysterious being that was in front of her._

_The chase might have been for mere seconds, or minutes, or hours, or more, she didn't know. Time had no meaning here, and if this was the Reaper's doing, then all things were dead, and her actions would do nothing to make anything better or worse, but she still clung to that last flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe she could do this._

_She finally saw the figure slow down. They were wearing something white. The figure turned around, and Shepard stopped dead in her tracks, looking at the face that was all-too familiar._

_That kid._

_What should she do now?_

_The choice was no longer hers to make as something pierced the chest of the child, instantly killing him. Shepard realized with horror that it was an energy blade, and an all-too-familiar one at that._

_The kid was held in the air, suspended by an invisible user, then the body collapsed to the ground, and there was the Arbiter, his mandibles opened into a feral roar, his second blade coming to life._

_Shepard felt the urge to draw her weapons and fight back, but her body no longer responded to her mind's commands. She tried again, and again, and again, but to no avail did it work._

_She was just in time to watch as the twin blades were coming towards her in an X slash maneuver, and she…_

Shepard jolted from her bed, drenched in sweat, her body tense, her fists flexing, waiting for something to happen.

**00000000000000000000**

_The sound of plasma fire was not lost on his mind, and that was not the only sound to be heard. There were many sounds filling his ears to the brim: human gunfire, grenades detonating, warthogs and ghosts whirling, humans and Covenant everywhere. It was a complete image of the battles that Thel had faced, and he instantly recognized the world as his last planet of conquest before his judgement and his branding: Reach._

_But why was he here? He had not personally participated in the Battle of Reach. He couldn't not when he had the human fleet to contend with. There was another Arbiter here._

_Thel looked down at himself. He was still in the armor of the Arbiter. What was this?_

_Thel decided not to question it and began to take off in a sprint, hoping to find something to cease this incessant madness. He had to stop this before…_

_What was he even stopping, if anything? Himself? The Covenant? The Prophets? Something greater?_

_He felt the familiar grip of a type-51 carbine in his hand, and he held it closer to himself as he advanced forward, taking care of the potentially dangerous ordinance that had yet to detonate._

_He heard the calls, the shots, the cries, and the commands, but he couldn't see anyone. No Sangheili, no Humans, no Unggoy, no Kig-Yar, no one was out here, and yet, he could hear them. Was his senses now playing tricks with him? He would not have it._

_His sharp eyes suddenly registered a spec in the distance, barely visible, but still within sight nonetheless, so he took off in pursuit of his new objective. Maybe it would give him the answers he required to solve this...ordeal._

_So he ran, and he felt so fast and slow, like he was pushing himself beyond his physical limits, but being slowed down by some other force he could not make out._

_He pushed on further, and further, and further. The shape he saw was not one, but two figures. At first, he could not make out who or what they were, but as the distance closed, he could see now: one Sangheili in a blue-white armor and another, a human in that Spartan armor that he was so familiar with, and it looked like they were having a one-on-one battle, and they were the only one around, and despite all the sounds of war, he could hear their battle more distinctly and without much effort._

_The two now stood, facing each other, and as Thel stopped to get a closer look, he knew instantly who he was looking at._

_It was Rtas 'Vadam, who held an energy sword in his right arm. To his left stood Commander Shepard, who held a rifle. Both immediately turned to face him, and said nothing. What was he to do?_

_Then the answer came to him: both wanted his help._

_In any other lifetime, Thel might choose Rtas over Shepard, but the reality was anything but clear now. He couldn't condemn the humans, not after what he had done, but choosing neither a choice?_

_Then there was no choice as a red laser came from the sky and burned the ground. Thel was thrown back, headlong into a nearby wall. wounded, but still alive._

_Shepard and Rtas were not so fortunate. Both were scorched in the blast, neither moving, and most certainly dead from the intense heat._

_He still ran to, first checking his fellow Sangheili, who was not there anymore, and then he turned to Shepard, who was barely clinging to life. All should could do was utter two words._

"_We failed."_

_His eyes turned to the sky to see tentacles…_

Thel jolted from his sleeping state. He had found himself sleeping in one of the rather uncomfortable human chairs in the shuttle bay.

He rose and instantly drew his weapon, but no one was around.

**And done. Sorry for skipping a week, but I had to re-evaluate this story and plan some events to come and polish up on some ME lore.**

**Anyway, REVIEW! These are the reason I still write for you guys. Tell the goods and the bads. The more I get, the more I'm motivated to write.**

**Also, for anyone who wants to be a beta reader, please PM me and we'll talk.**

**Hope you enjoyed and remember, power is useless without wisdom to guide it!**

**Peace!**


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